Contribution of OCLC, LC and IFLAin The Structuring of Bibliographic Data and

Authorities : A path to Linked Data

BY

Basma ChebaniHead of Cataloging and Metadata Services , AUB Libraries

Presented to

LLA Conference : Innovative Libraries : Paths to the Future

Beirut, May 9-11, 2018

Outline

• Linked data : its definition and why to join it?• 4 international initiatives of structuring bibliographic records to be

part of Linked Data:• OCLC Experimental Model Schema.org/Book+VIAF+FAST• Library of Congress Bibframe + Linked Data proposal• IFLA LRM Model (Library Reference Model)• Linked Data 4 Libraries Project

• American University of Beirut Libraries preparations for Linked Data.

What is a Linked Data?

Wikipedia defines Linked Data as recommended best practices for exposing, sharing, and connecting pieces of data, information, and knowledge on the Semantic Web using URIs (Unified Resource Identifier) and RDF (Resource Definition Framework).Tim Berners‐Lee, director of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), defined the term of Linked Data as: (Linked Open Data where all kinds of conceptual things have names that start with HTTP and where their relationships should also start with HTTP)http://viaf.org/viaf/105133145/#Fārābī

Library Catalogs and Linked Data

• User’s Query results of bibliographic data that are retrieved from relational databases and displayed on the web through Library Catalogs (OPAC) in MARC format are considered as Invisible Web.

• Solution: Structuring of data in the way that computers recognize through HTTP and URI links between entities and relationships. This a path to Linked Data.

Structuring data

• Segmenting each piece of data of a bibliographic MARC record into entity and give it standard value and URI started with HTTP.

• These entities are not designed to be understood by end-user; they are designed to be used by machines for harvesting and linking purposes.

Example : Publication information should be structured into 3 different entities:

• Place of pub. (Geographic systems)

• Publisher name as part of publisher name dataset

• Date of publication in (Standard Pattern)

Why do we aspire to be part of Linked Data?

The reason is that we need to publish and link structured data on the Web 1.0 by using applications, standards and tools of the Semantic Web (URIs and RDF) in a manner that facilitates interoperability and discovery on the Web 1.0

So we have to transform our bibliographic data usually encoded as MARC record fields into elements, and store them in RDF triple-stores (Subject-Object-Predicate) with their relationships in URIs for more visibility on the Web 1.0

4 International Initiatives for Structuring Bibliographic Data

Initiative 1: OCLC Schema.org/Book and Linked Data

• Each bibliographic record has a Persistent link.

• 2 levels of entity display:• Primary Entity : where the Bibliographic Record in Schema.org/Book

Format and where the RDFs label for Romanized data

• Related Entities : Each piece of data in the record is represented by URI started with HTTP or a Unique identifier as part of WorldCatexperimental Schema or Library of Congress subject or VIAF authorities, or Relationships Registry or Language standard or Country code standards.

Example of a bibliographic record in OCLC/ WorldCat Linked Data

Declarations and URIs in RDF Representation

• Declarations for all schemas used in xml name space and URIs.

• Dublin Core standard http://purl.org/dc/terms/

• Countries http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/countries/ua AND http://schema.org/Place (as URI)

• Schema.org/Book http://schema.org/Book

• xmlschema http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#

• VIAF http://viaf.org/viaf/50378124 (as URI)

• Library of Congress Subject Authorities http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85085137 (as URI)

• WorldCat entities http://experiment.worldcat.org/entity/work/data/3772514375#Place/al_qahirah (as URI)

• RDF Representation : RDFschema http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#

Initiative 2 : Bibframe by The Library of Congress

• Zepheira Company was engaged by the Library of Congress to design a Linked Data replacement for MARC.

• It operates as a kind of switchboard to transform the MARC records into Bibframe format to enable visibility and discovery of these resources on the Web.

BIBFRAME Pilot 2.0 revision Model Library of Congress Project : Steps to Linked Data

Library of Congress considers Bibframe pilot as essential for understanding the future through the migration of MARC records to a new platform and sees libraries as part of the Linked Data environment. It is tackling the following tasks:

• Adopting Bibframe for description of resources as first step.

• Enhancing the Bibframe Editor.

• Converting the whole MARC catalog of bibliographic records to Bibframe format (32 million cataloged books ) and Assigning 60 catalogers for correcting data conversion errors.

• Complete restructuring of infrastructure (Library System Voyager)

• Documentation and training.

• Expanding LC Linked data Service and Creating a key website for Bibframe

Bibframe Editor profile

• Efforts to customize the Bibframe editor as an RDA Compliant Template, and pre-populate data to facilitate the data entry.

• Seven types of Library materials Templates :

Monograph, Notated Music, Serial, Cartographic, BluRay/DVD, 35 mm feature film, audio CD

MARC to BIBFRAME conversion tools

• Comparison service

An open source tool for MARC bibliographic record with unique identifier of the Library of Congress MARC record. You enter the LC unique number online and you get the bibliographic MARC record in Bibframe.

• Transformation service

An open source tool to transform MARCXML record to Bibframe. MARC records should be converted by using the open source application MarcEdit, as a transitional step, then submit MARC/XML in this tool to get Bibframe resource.

Library of Congress proposal for Enhancing Relationships with URIs

• Proposal no. 2017-01 (Redefining Subfield $0 and $4 to Encompass URIs for Relationships in the MARC 21 Authority and

Bibliographic Formats) Encourages to structure MARC bibliographic records by adding URIs using RDA Registry Entity Relationships for the following relationships:

• Adding URI of the AAP (Authority Access Point) next to each name authority in100 and 700 MARC subfield |0 from VIAF or LC Name Authorities.

• Adding URI of the role of author or contributor next to each MARC field 100 and 700 in the subfield |4 from RDA Registry

• Adding the URI of relationship designators from RDA Registry between each related work, manifestation, expression and item in 7xx subfield |4

• The URIs will help in transforming to Bibframe in the future

Initiative 3 : IFLA/ LRM (Library Reference Model)

• IFLA LRM is a conceptual reference model published in August 2017to replace the Functional Requirements family of models (FRBR, FRAD, and FRSAD) • IFLA LRM was designed to support and promote the use of

bibliographic data in linked data environment.

Initiative 4 : Linked Data for Libraries Project (LD4L)

• A big project to transform the bibliographic data and ontologies (Controlled vocabularies) in libraries into Linked Data.

• First part is the creation of the SRSIS (Scholarly Resource Semantic Information Store) triple-store of existing ontologies and integrate them to create new ontology elements.

• Second part is the implementation of a platform that ingests data about these resources.

Needs for Coordination Between the Initiativesfor interoperability

• Proliferation of data models will limit reusability of bibliographic data.

• Libraries will move from MARC silos to Linked Data silos with incompatible data models.

• Different schemas need mapping and crosswalks for interoperability.

• So the need arises for :

• Creation of open source tools/software for batch conversion of MARC records to bibframe or MARCXML to reach Linked Data.

• Training and Documentation.

American University of Beirut Libraries Experience:Towards Linked Data

• In 2013 AUB Libraries shifted from AACR2 to RDA and opted for: • Romanization / Transliteration for Arabic records.• Adding English equivalent subjects inline with Arabic subjects for Arabic titles• Adding role of each author next to its authority in the bib record and the

subfield |4 from RDA Designation Relationships codes for Arabic authors.

• In August 2017 AUB Libraries opted to add linking URIs between library materials to set structured resource relationships that may exist between works, expressions, manifestations and items using URIs.

• .

American University of Beirut Libraries (AULIB):Towards Linked Data (2)

• Magic solution is to subscribe to Zeiphera Services, an application on the top of Sierra Library System that transforms MARC records to Bibframe for more visibility on the Web 1.0

• Adding a persistent link or Authorized Access Point (AAP) next to each name authority

• Adding AAP to more than 100.000 (Expected to be applied starting 2019)

Samples of structured records inAUB Libraries Catalog

Consequences of applying LRM/RDA Model in AUB libraries

• Global correction of RDA Registry relationship URIs to be compatible with LRM/RDA updated URIs.

• Delay in the cataloging time (355 relationships for authors and 289 for Expressions and 253 for manifestations and 322 for works).

• Need for restructuring authorities records in RDA and adding AAP URIs links in Bibliographic records. (Starting 2019)

Thank you