I don't understand the "publish it and they will come" mentality when it 
comes to linked data.  If you can't define a clear use case for your own 
data infrastructure, then I can't see how you would justify the time spent.

The "making data available to the world at large" is a nice byproduct, 
but you can't write a "use case" for "unknown users" with unknown goals. 
  So, if you have no plans to use the data in some productive way, then 
I'm sure you have more pressing things to do with your time.

-Shaun

On 8/7/14 9:48 AM, Scott Prater wrote:
> Echoing others... the use case for linked data appears to be making data
> available to the world at large, unknown consumers, who may find a use
> for it that you never imagined.
>
> Name authority services (like VIAF), catalogs of public resources, map
> data -- all these are good candidates for a linked data approach.
>
> Hardware availability at your library?  Not so much.  It's hard to
> imagine a case where that information would be useful outside your walls.
>
> -- Scott
>
> On 08/07/2014 08:09 AM, Ethan Gruber wrote:
>> I agree with others saying linked data is overkill here. If you don't
>> have
>> an audience in mind or a specific purpose for implementing linked data,
>> it's not worth it.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 7, 2014 at 9:07 AM, Jason Stirnaman <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> 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]
>>>> Become a friend of Paul Smith's Library on Facebook today!
>>>
>
>

-- 
Shaun Ellis
User Interface Developer, Digital Initiatives
Princeton University Library
609.258.1698

“Any darn fool can get complicated. It takes genius to attain 
simplicity.” -Pete Seeger