Archive for May, 2011

Linked Data

As part of some pre-reading activities for the upcoming TEDSIG Spring Workshop on Linked Data (LD), I’ve found a couple of interesting pages that can help explain the benefits/implications of LD for libraries and non-libraries communities.  Although LD isn’t new, I still find this 2009 TED video by Tim Berners-Lee as a must watch when explaining the foundation of the term.

A set of more recent videos and publications about the topic include:

  • Linked Data and Libraries at the 2010 British Library Conference, they have videos for most of the presentations; two of my favorites are: Introduction Talis and the World of Linked Data as well as Linked Data, RDF, and SPARQL.  An article about the presentations is also available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29932/
  • The Strongest Link: Libraries and Linked Data, a publication in D-Lib Magazine where the authors talk about some of the benefits that linked data could have for libraries, discuss some of the non-technical obstacles, and offer suggestions for ways in which libraries can participate in the development of the semantic web.
  • Linked Data and Libraries, a publication in The Serials Librarian Journal where the authors describe the concept of linked data … suggested new opportunities for libraries to assist organizations with their information needs and to weave knowledge workers, library users, and librarians together in a new enterprise.

In short, LD will have the potential to empower an interlinked world where machines could talk to each other … which also means that organizations (e.g. libraries, government agencies, etc.) could better meet user expectations in securing availability of data in a standard format that is understandable and reusable by others.   Ok, I think that’s it for now, I look forward to learning more about LD at the TEDSIG workshop next week. :-)

And finally, examples of great upcoming events include:

.

No Comments »