Mike,
Check out 
http://json-ld.org/,
http://json-ld.org/primer/latest/, and
https://github.com/digitalbazaar/pyld

But, if you haven't yet sketched out a model for *your* data, then the LD stuff will just be a distraction. The information on Linked Data seems overly complex because trying to represent data for the Semantic Web gets complex - and verbose. 

As others have suggested, it's never a bad idea to just "do the simplest thing that could possibly work."[1] Mark recommended writing a simple API. That would be a good start to understanding your data model and to eventually serving LD. And, you may find that it's enough for now.

1. http://www.xprogramming.com/Practices/PracSimplest.html

Jason

Jason Stirnaman
Lead, Library Technology Services
University of Kansas Medical Center
[log in to unmask]
913-588-7319

On Aug 6, 2014, at 1:45 PM, Michael Beccaria <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> 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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