Linked Data Tools: Connecting on the Web

FRBR, RDA: Resource Description and Access, and Library of Congress’s commitment to a new bibliographic framework all point toward opportunities for shared, linked library data. In this issue of Library Technology Reports, Karen Coyle updates readers on the development of fundamental resources such as standards, data elements, and term lists, showing how they fit together. In clear, straightforward language, she introduces common Semantic Web terminology and acronyms, like RDF, triples, SKOS, OWL, and SPARQL, showing readers how to locate defined metadata elements on the Web. Coyle lists and describes 20 sources of general use data elements to use, from ISBD elements to Facebook’s Open Graph, also describing numerous examples of topical lists suited to linking with library data, including subject lists, thesauri, and other controlled vocabularies. For developers and programmers, Coyle describes emerging tools that facilitate data element creation, validation of Semantic Web structures, link creation, and linked data searching.

Topics include:

The future of bibliographic control
Four rules of linked data
Metadata definition and development
Link creation and term mapping
Additional resources, including websites, tutorials, and further reading