This session by Lukas Koster.

Works for Library of the University of Amsterdam was ‘system librarian’, then Head of Library Systems Department, now Library Systems Coordinator – means responsible for MetaLib, SFX … and new innovative stuff – including mobile web and the Dutch Culture Link project – which is what he is going to talk about today.

Lukas is a ‘shambrarian’ – someone who pretends they know stuff!

Blogs at http://commonplace.net

Lukas described situation in Netherlands regarding libraries, technology and innovation. How much leeway to get involved in innovation and mashups – depends very much on individual institutions and local situation. Large Library 2.0 community – but much more in public libraries – especially user facing widgets and UI stuff – via a Ning network. Have ‘Happe.Nings’ – but more looking at social media etc. rather than data mashups. Lukas blogged the last one at http://www.lukaskoster.net/2010/06/happe-ning-in-haarlem. Next Happe.Ning about streaming music services

Lukas talking about Linked Open Data project – partners are:

• DEN – Digital Heriatage Foundation of the Netherlands – digital standards for heritage institutions, promoting linked open data – museums etc. – simple guidelines how to publish linked open data
• UBA – library of the University of Amsterdam
• TIN – Theater Institute of the Netherlands

Objectives of project:

• Set example
• Proof of concept
• Pilot
• Convince heritage institutions
• Convince TIN, UBA management

Project called “Dutch Culture Link” – aim to link cultural data and institutions through semantic web

Linked data projects – 2 viewpoints – publishing and use – no point publishing without use. Lukas keen that project includes examples of how the data can be used.

So – the initial idea is that the UBA (Aleph) OPAC will be used to get data published from the TIN collection and enhance OPAC

TIN use AdLib library system (AdLib also used for museums, archives etc.) – TIN contains objects and audio-visual material as well as bibliographic items

Started by modelling TIN collection data model – entities:

• Person
• Part (person plays part in play)
• Appearance
• Production
• Performance
• Location
• Play

Images, text files, a-v material related to these entities – e.g. Images from a performance

Lukas talking about FRBR – “a library inward vision” – deals with bibliographic materials – but can perhaps be mapped to plays…

• Work = Play
• Expression = Production?
• Manifestation = Production?
• Item = Performance (one time event)

FRBR interesting model, but needs to be extended to the real world! (not just inward looking for library materials)

Questions that arise:

• Which vocabulary/ontology to use?
• How to implement RDF?
• How to format URIs?
• Which tool, techniques, languages?
• How to find/get published linked data?
• How to process retrieved linked data?

Needed training – but no money! Luckily were able to attend free DANS Linked Open Data workshop

Decided to start with a quick and dirty approach:

• Produced URIs for data entities in TIN data – expressed data as JSON (not RDF)
• At the OPAC end:
• Javascript: construct TIN URI
• Process JSON
• Present data in record

URI:

• <base-url>/person/<personname>
• <base-url>/play/<personname>/<title>
• <base-url>/production/<personname>/<title>/<opening>

e.g. URI <base-url>/person/Beckett, Samuel returns JSON record

So, in OPAC, find the author name – form URI from information in MARC record – but strip out any extraneous information. Get JSON and parser with javascript, and display into OPAC.

But – this not Linked Data yet – not using formal Ontology, not using RDF. But this is the approach – quick and dirty, tangible results

Next steps: at ‘Publishing’ end

• Vocabulary for Production/Performance subject area
• Vocabulary for Person (FOAF?), Subject (SKOS?)
• RDF in JSON (internal relationships)
• Publish RDF/XML
• More URIs – form performances etc
• External links
• Content negotiation
• Links to a-v objects etc.

At ‘use’ end:

• More ‘search’ fields (e.g. Title)
• Extend presentation
• Include relations
• Clickable
• More information – e.g. could list multiple productions of same play from script in library catalogue

Issues:

• Need to use generic, really unique URIs
• Person: ids (VIAF?)
• Plays: ids