Eric, if you want to leap into the linked data world in the fastest, 
easiest way possible, then I suggest looking at microdata markup, e.g. 
schema.org.[1] Schema.org does not require you to transform your data at 
all: it only requires mark-up of your online displays. This makes sense 
because as long as your data is in local databases, it's not visible to 
the linked data universe anyway; so why not take the easy way out and 
just add linked data to your public online displays? This doesn't 
require a transformation of your entire record (some of which may not be 
suitable as linked data in any case), only those "things" that are 
likely to link usefully. This latter generally means "things for which 
you have an identifier." And you make no changes to your database, only 
to display.

OCLC is already producing this markup in WorldCat records [2]-- not 
perfectly, of course, lots of warts, but it is a first step. However, it 
is a first step that makes more sense to me than *transforming* or 
*cross-walking* current metadata. It also, I believe, will help us 
understand what bits of our current metadata will make the transition to 
linked data, and what bits should remain as accessible documents that 
users can reach through linked data.

kc
[1] http://schema.org, and look at the work going on to add 
bibliographic properties at 
http://www.w3.org/community/schemabibex/wiki/Main_Page
[2] look at the "linked data" section of any WorldCat page for a single 
item, such 
ashttp://www.worldcat.org/title/selection-of-early-statistical-papers-of-j-neyman/oclc/527725&referer=brief_results



On 11/19/13 7:54 AM, Eric Lease Morgan wrote:
> On Nov 19, 2013, at 9:41 AM, Karen Coyle <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Eric, I think this skips a step - which is the design step in which you
>> create a domain model that uses linked data as its basis. RDF is not a
>> serialization; it actually may require you to re-think the basic
>> structure of your metadata. The reason for that is that it provides
>> capabilities that record-based data models do not. Rather than starting
>> with current metadata, you need to take a step back and ask: what does
>> my information world look like as linked data?
>
> I respectfully disagree. I do not think it necessary to create a domain model ahead of time; I do not think it is necessary for us to re-think our metadata structures. There already exists tools enabling us — cultural heritage institutions — to manifest our metadata as RDF. The manifestations may not be perfect, but “we need to learn to walk before we run” and the metadata structures we have right now will work for right now. As we mature we can refine our processes. I do not advocate “stepping back and asking”. I advocate looking forward and doing. —Eric Morgan

-- 
Karen Coyle
[log in to unmask] http://kcoyle.net
m: 1-510-435-8234
skype: kcoylenet