Karen, There are tools out there, like the OpenRefine[1], and specifically the Reconciliation Service API's [2] which can be built to interact with it, which are meant to help solve this problem. For instance, the there is a third-party VIAF Reconciliation service [3] built on top of the VIAF API which will take a plain text name of a person and try to find a VIAF URI for it. There are a lot of ways that Reconciliation Service could be improved,and creating an in-house version that really leverages the data in VIAF to work with OpenRefine's methods could be a fantastic example of how a data provider like OCLC can meet owners of legacy data more than half-way. Just making the data (and and API) available was already half-way because it allowed the community to innovate with it. If they can take the next step, FANTASTIC, but if they don't I'm not holding it against them. Best, Chad 1 - http://openrefine.org/ 2 - https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/wiki/Reconciliation-Service-API 3- http://iphylo.blogspot.com/2013/04/reconciling-author-names-using-open.html On Wed, Apr 30, 2014 at 8:53 PM, Karen Coyle <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Roy, the question that I have is, as I say below, about DISCOVERABILITY of > URIs, not intellectual property issues. It's great that there are lots of > URIs for useful things out in the world, but they don't jump into your data > store on their own through some kind of magic. To me, the big problem today > is that of populating legacy data with useful identifiers. I know that some > folks have worked at making connections between subject headings in their > catalog and the URIs available through id.loc.gov - and as I recall, it > turns out to be fairly frustrating. It seems to be that the solution to > this is that providers of URIs and users of URIs have to both make an > effort to meet half-way, or at a mutally convenient location. It simply is > not enough to say: "Hey, look! I've got all of these URIs. Good luck!" So > let's talk about how we make that connection. > > kc > > > On 4/30/14, 1:17 PM, Roy Tennant wrote: > >> Also, this: >> >> "OCLC identifiers, and Linked Data URIs, are always in the public domain. >> Independent of the data and/or information content (which may be subject >> to >> individual licensing terms open or otherwise) that they identify, or link >> to, OCLC identifiers (e.g. OCLC Numbers, VIAF IDs, or WorldCat Work URIs) >> can be treated as if they are in the public domain and can be included in >> any data exposure mechanism or activity as public domain data." >> >> http://www.oclc.org/developer/develop/linked-data.en.html >> >> Roy >> >> >> On Wed, Apr 30, 2014 at 9:59 AM, Richard Wallis < >> [log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >> To unpack the several questions lurking in Karen’s question. >>> >>> As to being able to use the WorldCat Works data/identifiers there is no >>> difference between a or b - it is ODC-BY licensed data. >>> >>> Getting a Work URI may be easier for a) as they should be able to >>> identify >>> the OCLC Number and hence use the linked data from it’s URI < >>> http://worldcat.org/oclc/{ocn}> to pick up the link to it’s work. >>> >>> Tools such as xISBN <http://xisbn.worldcat.org/xisbnadmin/doc/api.htm> >>> can >>> step you towards identifier lookups and are openly available for low >>> volume >>> usage. >>> >>> Citation lookup is more a bib lookup feature, that you could get an OCLC >>> Number from. One of colleagues may be helpful on the particulars of this. >>> >>> Apologies for being WorldCat specific, but Karen did ask. >>> >>> ~Richard. >>> >>> >>> On 30 April 2014 17:15, Karen Coyle <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>> My question has to do with discoverability. Let's say that I have a >>>> bibliographic database and I want to add the OCLC work identifiers to >>>> it. >>>> Obviously I don't want to do it by hand. I might have ISBNs, but in some >>>> cases I will have a regular author/title-type citation. >>>> >>>> and let's say that I am asking this for two different institutions: >>>> a) is an OCLC member institution >>>> b) is not >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> kc >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On 4/30/14, 8:47 AM, Dan Scott wrote: >>>> >>>> On Tue, Apr 29, 2014 at 11:37 PM, Roy Tennant <[log in to unmask]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> This has now instead become a reasonable recommendation >>>>>> >>>>>>> concerning ODC-BY licensing [3] but the confusion and uncertainty >>>>>>> about which records an OCLC member may redistribute remains. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> [3] http://www.oclc.org/news/releases/2012/201248.en.html >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Allow me to try to put this confusion and uncertainty to rest once >>>>>> and >>>>>> for >>>>>> all: >>>>>> >>>>>> ALL THE THINGS. ALL. >>>>>> >>>>>> At least as far as we are concerned. I think it's well past time to >>>>>> put >>>>>> the >>>>>> past in the past. >>>>>> >>>>>> That's great, Roy. That's a *lot* simpler than parsing the >>>>> recommendations, WCRR, community norms, and such at [A, B] :) >>>>> >>>>> Meanwhile, we have just put nearly 200 million works records up as >>>>> >>>> linked >>> >>>> open data. [1], [2], [3]. If that doesn't rock the library open linked >>>>>> data >>>>>> world, then no one is paying attention. >>>>>> Roy >>>>>> >>>>>> [1] http://oclc.org/en-US/news/releases/2014/201414dublin.html >>>>>> [2] >>>>>> http://dataliberate.com/2014/04/worldcat-works-197-million- >>>>>> nuggets-of-linked-data/ >>>>>> [3] http://hangingtogether.org/?p=3811 >>>>>> >>>>>> Yes, that is really awesome. But Laura was asking about barriers to >>>>> open metadata, so damn you for going off-topic with PR around a lack >>>>> of barriers to some metadata (which, for those who have not looked >>>>> yet, have a nice ODC-BY licensing statement at the bottom of a given >>>>> Works page) :) >>>>> >>>>> A. http://oclc.org/worldcat/community/record-use.en.html >>>>> B. http://oclc.org/worldcat/community/record-use/data- >>>>> licensing/questions.en.html >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>> Karen Coyle >>>> [log in to unmask] http://kcoyle.net >>>> m: 1-510-435-8234 >>>> skype: kcoylenet >>>> >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> Richard Wallis >>> Founder, Data Liberate >>> http://dataliberate.com >>> Tel: +44 (0)7767 886 005 >>> >>> Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardwallis >>> Skype: richard.wallis1 >>> Twitter: @rjw >>> >>> > -- > Karen Coyle > [log in to unmask] http://kcoyle.net > m: 1-510-435-8234 > skype: kcoylenet >