Linked Data for the Perplexed Librarian

Linked data has become a punchline in certain circles of the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) community, derided as a much-hyped project that will ultimately never come to fruition. But the fact is, linked data is already happening now, evident in projects from Big Tech and the Wikimedia Foundation as well as the web pages of library service platforms. The goal of exposing cultural institutions' records to the web is as important as ever--but for the non-technically minded, linked data can feel like a confusing morass of abstraction, jargon, and acronyms. Get conversant in linked data with this basic introduction from the Association of Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS). The book's expert contributors

• summarize the origins of linked data, from early computers and the creation of the World Wide Web through RDF;
• walk readers through the practical, everyday side of creating, identifying, and representing semantically rich linked data using as an example the funk classic Mothership Connection album from the band Parliament;
• explain the concept of ontologies;
• explore such linked data projects as Open Graph, DBpedia, BIBFRAME, and Schema.org's Bib Extension;
• offer suggested solo and group entry-level projects for linked data-curious librarians who wish to dive deeper; and
• provide a handy glossary and links to additional resources.

This valuable primer on linked data will enable readers at any level of experience to get quickly up to speed on this important subject.

Scott Carlson is a data professional and former metadata librarian living in the Pacific Northwest. Previously, he was Metadata Coordinator at Rice University's Fondren Library and Cataloging and Metadata Librarian at the American University of Sharjah. His favorite color is green.

<!--StartFragment-->Cory Lampert is a professor and the head of digital collections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is responsible for the strategy and management of digital initiatives for the University Libraries' Special Collections and Archives. Her research interests include implementing linked open data for digital collections, with a focus on empowering librarians to learn through practice. She is active in grant-writing, building collaborative digitization and community engagement partnerships, and mentoring new professionals. Lampert received a BA in liberal arts from Sarah Lawrence College and an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her favorite P-Funk albums include the well-worn Mothership Connection LP that she bought on a New York City street corner in 93 and her Maggot Brain/Funkadelic playlist, though she feels there is no substitute for live funk music.<!--EndFragment-->

<!--StartFragment-->Darnelle Melvin is the special collections and archives metadata librarian and an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he is responsible for managing metadata activities, remediation projects, and metadata documentation. He researches metadata and resource discovery in relation to digital libraries, repository migrations, and data warehousing. His work explores linked data implementation, metadata remediation tools/ services, workflow engineering and optimization, and semantic and syntactic interoperability. Melvin received his MLIS degree from San José State University and his BA from San Francisco State University. His favorite P-Funk album is The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein.<!--EndFragment-->

<!--StartFragment-->Anne Washington is the metadata services coordinator at the University of Houston Libraries, where she is responsible for managing metadata creation and maintenance for the University of Houston digital collections and other repository services. Her research interests include technologies, such as linked data, that have the potential to more broadly expose and connect resources, as well as inclusive, user-centered approaches to metadata. She received her MLIS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her favorite P-Funk albums are Mothership Connection and Chocolate City.<!--EndFragment-->