OCLC and linked data
Resource discoverability through connections
Research habits have changed. It’s no longer enough for libraries to simply maintain information resources for users to access. They now have to make the information visible to seekers where they begin their research. WorldCat provides libraries with an opportunity to display their holdings on websites beyond library catalogs in a format that search engines, citation management systems, campus platforms, research portals, and other information websites can read and repurpose.
“OCLC is well placed...”
A significant step toward the future of library metadata
We continue to lead the global library metadata community in a way that no other organization can. With the support of the Mellon Foundation and our advisory group members, we’ve released 150 million WorldCat Entities containing descriptions of creative works and persons, which form the foundation of our shared entity management infrastructure.
Anyone can explore this data through our publicly available website, entities.oclc.org. Library metadata specialists can begin using these entity URIs in their data today to start making connections that empower discovery and research.
WorldCat Entities form the initial foundation of our shared entity management infrastructure, which will allow libraries, OCLC, and other stakeholders to jointly curate linked data. We're now partnering with key libraries to help us refine and enhance a linked data management tool—OCLC Meridian—and APIs, to give libraries what they need to fully incorporate linked data into their workflows, empowering discovery through connections that answer questions researchers haven't yet thought to ask.
“...stewards of library data”
Creating library linked data with Wikibase
OCLC's ten-month Project Passage pilot let librarians from 16 US institutions create linked data describing library and archival resources in a Wikibase sandbox. The librarians worked with OCLC on a framework for reconciling, evaluating, and managing traditional metadata as linked data entities and relationships. This opportunity revealed the potential of linked data in library catalogs as well as the gaps to address before fully adopting machine-readable semantic data can be fully adopted.
- Watch an overview video
- Download the Lessons Learned from Project Passage report
- Read An insider's look at Project Passage
- Learn more about OCLC's linked data research
“Monumental development...”
Connecting people with unique digital resources
Our OCLC Research report Transforming metadata into linked data to improve digital collection discoverability shares findings from our CONTENTdm linked data pilot project. We partnered with institutions that manage their digital collections with OCLC’s CONTENTdm service to investigate methods for—and the feasibility of—transforming metadata into linked data to improve the discoverability and management of digitized cultural materials and their descriptions. The OCLC Research webinar, "On the way to library linked data," offers further thoughts on this work.
Improving the interoperability of digital materials
As a founding member of IIIF (the International Image Interoperability Framework), OCLC is leading the effort to create new standards for sharing structural metadata about digital images, audio, and video with the library community.
Linked data as a cooperative effort
OCLC works closely with other organizations, such as the Library of Congress, to ensure that library data are included on the web. We believe that linked data representations will eventually replace MARC. By cooperating with other data standards groups and making WorldCat data available to them, we both enhance the value of WorldCat and ensure that libraries have a voice in the future of information management.
BIBFRAME
OCLC remains committed to working with the Library of Congress and the library community to help finalize the BIBFRAME standard, an evolving model to share and connect bibliographic data. As multiple variants continue to evolve, we will continue to evaluate BIBFRAME data to help inform our linked data planning activities with a goal to allow all OCLC members to continue to register their collections in WorldCat.
Program for Cooperative Cataloging
OCLC is actively engaged with libraries within the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) to explore standards, policies, and best practices as library metadata transitions from MARC to linked data. OCLC participates in several committees and tasks forces including the Standard Committee on Standards, the Standard Committee on Training, and the Linked Data Advisory Group.
Upcoming & on-demand events
03 June 2022
OCLC cataloging community meeting
This virtual community event provides an opportunity to hear about important work by community members and learn about OCLC cataloging and metadata services.
29 October 2021
CONTENTdm Connect 2021
Learn about how libraries are building and stewarding digital content for their communities during this CONTENTdm community special event.
News
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Building a shared entity management infrastructure: Moving from promise to production
In this February 2021 presentation at the International Conference for Bibliographic Control in the Digital Ecosystem, OCLC’s John Chapman discussed the reasoning behind our shared entity management infrastructure initiative, our progress to date and...