The Academy Unbound

Abstract

227Linked data has the potential to revolutionize the academic world of information creation and exchange. A revolution is at hand, one that is potentially as world-altering as the development of the web. And, as are most truly transformative revolutions, it is driven by a simple concept: in this case, linked data. Linked data has the potential to change most aspects of the universe of information creation and exchange. As a primary purveyor of information, the academy will be at the nexus of this revolution. The information infrastructure of this world will be dramatically altered as basic tenets of what it collects and how it collects, organizes, and provides information are questioned and rethought. Much has been said about linked data, its ties to the Semantic Web, and its application for libraries, but what is it exactly and how does it work?This paper aims to answer these questions by defining linked data, discussing problems with libraries' focus on bibliographic records, and exploring the potential of linked data as a solution in a rapidly evolving global discovery environment. A new discovery approach developed by the Bibliothèque nationale de France is presented as a service that takes advantage of the potential of linked data. What Is Linked Data?Linked data has so much potential because it is imbedded in the fabric of the web. As more aspects of professional and private life move to the cloud, the way in which information is stored and linked on the web becomes crucial. The four tenets of linked data are simple: (1) use URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) to name resources on the web; (2) use HTTP URIs so someone can find the resources; (3) have the information provided by the link be useful, and provide

Disambiguating the Departed: Using the Genealogist’s Tools to Uniquely Identify the Long Dead and Little Known

“…Catalogers are on the precipice of, as Schreuer calls it, a "transformative revolution" in the way we describe resources. 33 Whether we are teetering or standing firm, it is hard to say. The work of catalogers in a linked data environment will evolve in ways not clearly perceived at the moment, but it will undoubtedly involve a continuing need to uniquely identify people, whether they are the creators, contributors, or subjects of the works associated with them.…”

Positioning Libraries for a New Bibliographic Universe

“…As Scheuer says, linked data will expand discoverability, and create a host of possibilities for libraries to reuse their data to improve services and reach their users in new locations: "a linked data environment has no bounds." 137 Controlled vocabularies and authority control continued to play a prominent role in the literature during the review period, and perhaps even have gained in stature as libraries consider how to open their data to the wider world. Identifiers and contextual information about authors have grown in importance, as libraries share authority data through global projects such as VIAF, and pursue linked data solutions.…”

“…Another excellent foundational article for understanding linked data and their potential for libraries is Schreur's "The Academy Unbound." 34 The current system of a master record in MARC format residing in a shared utility while individual libraries maintain their own copies is duplicative and inefficient, and MARC format does not interface well with the web environment. Pieces of a catalog record, though they make sense within the context of that record, have little meaning outside of the record, unlike a triple, which is self-contained.…”

Notes on Operations: Visual Representation of Academic Communities through Viewshare

“…As a primary purveyor of information, the academy will be at the nexus of this revolution." 13 He further reiterates a call to libraries for reform and adaption: "True beginnings do not happen often and revolutions can be swift and unexpected. Libraries must be leaders in this revolution.…”