C4L'rs - I send the email below to the BIBFRAME list and apologize if 
you have already seen it. I am trying to understand if there is interest 
in having an RDF vocabulary of agent relationship *properties* (editor, 
illustrator, funder, artist). The current entries in the LoC relators 
list are defined as Things (SKOS concepts) but not predicates (see 
exceptions explained below). The RDA agent vocabulary [3 below] takes a 
markedly different approach and I would be interested to know if anyone 
is using that and if you have found that sufficient.

Thanks,
kc
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	[BIBFRAME] LoC Relators as Properties
Date: 	Mon, 28 Nov 2022 14:09:06 -0800
From: 	Karen Coyle <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: 	[log in to unmask]
To: 	[log in to unmask]



All,

I'm writing to solicit your thoughts on using LoC relators [1] as 
properties. It's a bit more complex of a question than it sounds, but 
I'll try my best.

This comes about because of a project at Dublin Core for a Scholarly 
Resources Application Profile [2] (SRAP). The developers of SRAP (from 
the Finnish National Library) would like to use the following relators 
as properties in their profile:

Degree supervisor | http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/dgs
Editor            | http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/edt
Funder            | http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/fnd
Opponent          | http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/opn
Praeses           | http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/pra

(More may be added later).

As you may know, LoC relators are defined in MADS and in SKOS as 
concepts. In the downloaded MADS file you can find the declaration:

rdfs:subPropertyOf <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/contributor>

in about 105 of the nearly 400 relators defined there. This was added in 
the early 2000's to relators that were deemed to be in the spirit of 
dc:contributor.

For example

<http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/act> a madsrdf:Authority ;
madsrdf:authoritativeLabel "Actor" ;
madsrdf:code "act" ;
madsrdf:definitionNote "A performer contributing to an expression of a 
work by acting as a cast member or player in a musical or dramatic 
presentation, etc."@en ;
madsrdf:editorialNote "changed MARC def"@en ;
madsrdf:hasBroaderAuthority <http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prf> ;
madsrdf:hasNarrowerAuthority <http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/vac> ;
madsrdf:isMemberOfMADSCollection 
<http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/collection_BIBFRAMEWork>,
<http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/collection_PastPresentRelatorsEntries>,
<http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/collection_RDA>,
<http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/collection_RDAContributor>,
<http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/collection_RDAWork> ;
madsrdf:isMemberOfMADSScheme <http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators> ;
rdfs:subPropertyOf <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/contributor> .

Because of this subproperty declaration, it follows that these relators 
can be used as properties in RDF. Unfortunately, most of the relators 
that SRAP wishes to use are not so defined.

Note that RDA defines relators as "agent" properties [3] and the 
National Library of Sweden has created its own list based LoC's 
relators, but in which they are defined as properties.[4] However, it is 
generally thought that the LoC list is the best known, the sine qua non 
of relator lists, and that is what the developers of SRAP prefer to use.

All of that is background for this question:

IS THERE A DESIRE IN THE COMMUNITY TO USE LoC RELATORS AS PROPERTIES?

If so, the when and how could be discussed next.

kc

[1] https://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators

[2] https://github.com/dcmi/dc-srap

[3] http://www.rdaregistry.info/Elements/a/

[4] https://id.kb.se/vocab/


-- 
Karen Coyle
[log in to unmask]
http://kcoyle.net