Linked Data for Cultural Heritage

What sets Linked Data for Cultural Heritage apart from other books on library linked data is the emphasis on cultural collections and their datasets—metadata that includes information about people, places, provenance, and relationships to other cultural collections …Linked Data for Cultural Heritage is an effective, fresh commentary on the current uses of library linked data and its possible future.

Given that the overview of linked data presented here is generally accessible to those at all levels, I think that the volume achieves its objectives of being a resource for students and practitioners wishing to learn more about practical implementations and the workings of linked data models.

Accessible to those who are following the library linked data conversation for the first time, but not a low-level introduction, either, chapters from this thoughtful compilation will be equally at home on the syllabus of an library and information science graduate course as on the reading list of a professional learning community of metadata, systems, and digital scholarship librarians.

This refreshing volume cuts through much of the hype about linked data with clear-eyed discussions of the components that make up the semantic web, and delves into several current ongoing projects and implementations. The authors acknowledge that there are many challenges and that the work is still beginning. Though at first glance the work appears rather daunting and dense, on closer inspection it proves well-written and fascinating in its accounts of the semantic web’s components. Highly recommended for those wishing further acquaintance with linked data, as well as others who may be well-versed in the topic.

Ed Jones has been cataloguing serials, on and off, since 1976, and over the years has authored several scholarly papers and made numerous presentations on serials cataloguing, the FRBR and FRAD conceptual models, and RDA. He has been a member of the CONSER Operations Committee, on and off, since 1981, and recently served as an RDA advisor. In 1995, he received his doctorate in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He is currently associate director for assessment and technical services at National University in San Diego. Michele Seikel is Professor of Digital Resources and Discovery Services at Oklahoma State University