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University of Cambridge and OCLC Research Collaborate on Open Metadata Project

 
OCLC Research and the University of Cambridge will jointly conduct a six-month, JISC-funded investigation into the value of making collection metadata openly available in a sustainable manner.

The COMET (Cambridge OPen METadata) project will release a sub-set of bibliographic data from Cambridge University Library catalogs as linked data in multiple formats. This activity will test a number of technologies and methodologies for releasing open bibliographic data including XML, RDF, SPARQL, and JSON.

To enhance linking options, records will be enriched using two OCLC Research services to assign FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology) and VIAF (Virtual International Authority File) headings. This will allow for effective information retrieval and semantic interoperability.

Starting in February 2011, COMET will document the availability of metadata for the library's collections which can be released openly in machine-readable formats and the barriers which prevent other data from being exposed in this way.

The project will bring value to the wider community by contributing substantially to the availability of open metadata. Linking to FAST and VIAF headings will demonstrate the potential usefulness of a structured semantic approach to data, and the project will look at the value data enrichment offers for resource discovery.

More Information

COMET Project Blog
http://cul-comet.blogspot.com

Cambridge University Library
http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/

FAST
http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/fast/default.htm

VIAF
http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/viaf/default.htm

JISC Project page
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/inf11/infrastructureforresourcediscovery/comet.aspx

For more information:

Eric Childress
Consulting Project Manager
OCLC Research
eric_childress@oclc.org
+1-614-764-6000

Robert C. Bolander
Senior Communications Officer
OCLC Research
bolander@oclc.org
+1-614-761-5207

We are a worldwide library cooperative, owned, governed and sustained by members since 1967. Our public purpose is a statement of commitment to each other—that we will work together to improve access to the information held in libraries around the globe, and find ways to reduce costs for libraries through collaboration.