Mike, 

If you want to create Linked Data, check out EasyLOD, https://github.com/mjordan/easyLOD. It's not a guide, but it does provide a toolkit. You'd need to write a data source plugin in PHP that scrapes your ILS but the EasyLOD framework will take care of most of the other bits involved in publishing Linked Data, assuming you're happy to provide only RDF/XML representations of your data (I never got around to providing other formats). 

If you decide that Linked Data is overkill, you may want to consider providing an API to your data. Check out http://api.lib.sfu.ca/equipment as an example. 

Mark 

----- Original Message -----

> I have recently had the opportunity to create a new library web page
> and host it on my own servers. One of the elements of the new page
> that I want to improve upon is providing live or near live
> information on technology availability (10 of 12 laptops available,
> etc.). That data resides on my ILS server and I thought it might be
> a good time to upgrade the bubble gum and duct tape solution I now
> have to creating a real linked data service that would provide that
> availability information to the web server.

> The problem is there is a lot of overly complex and complicated
> information out there onlinked data and RDF and the semantic web
> etc. and I'm looking for a simple guide to creating a very simple
> linked data service with php or python or whatever. Does such a
> resource exist? Any advice on where to start?
> Thanks,

> Mike Beccaria
> Systems Librarian
> Head of Digital Initiative
> Paul Smith's College
> 518.327.6376
> [log in to unmask]
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