Graph thinking, linked open data, semantic web: Preparing for the post-MARC world (Report)

Anchalee Panigabutra-Roberts (Joy) from the American University in Cairo described preparation for the post-MARC world. She mentioned the relevance of the idea of the Semantic Web, and its description in the 2001 Scientific American article by Berners-Lee, Hendler, and Lassila. The goal, for libraries (libraries being one part of community of all digitized information, or all metadata) continues to be to move information on the web into web/machine readable data. For libraries, this goal then implies that data elements must be conceptually described in formats focusing on RDF Schema (Resource Description Framework Schema), often abbreviated as RDFS/RDFa. The basic concept of the Semantic Web is that RDFS will allow search results based on links between elements, rather than just frequency of usage of key word(s).

Joy then described how the US Library of Congress is initiating a large project, or model, called BIBFRAME which will eventually replace the MARC standards for bibliographic data. The full characteristics of the BIBFRAME model are a work-in-progress, however at its base will be the categories of: Works, Instances, Authorities, and Annotations. BIBFRAME will be applied to serials, and also resources found on the web such as audio and video.

Related links:

Semantic Web basics

Linking Open Data Cloud

BIBFRAME initiative