The Library of Congress has begun a second Pilot simulating the cataloging environment with Linked Data, a triple store, and the BIBFRAME data model. A great deal of information resulting from the Pilot will soon be available and the session will report on it. The Pilot and the whole BIBFRAME development are carried out in an open environment with specifications, conversion tools, and system components made downloadable via a web site or GitHub as they are developed. The BIBFRAME 2 ontology is also available as an OWL file and many of the controlled vocabularies used for the data, such as subjects and names, are available in RDF. The vocabulary services have been operational for over 5 years and were basic building blocks for this further development. The Pilot has taken a total-environment approach by converting the whole of the Library of Congress MARC catalog to RDF according to the BIBFRAME data model which the 60 catalogers in the Pilot “catalog against” as they create new descriptions of items. Pilot catalogers are specialists (with various language assignments) who deal with monographs, serials, moving image, recorded sound, still image, cartography, and music. The presentation will discuss the tools used (what they did well and less well), aspects of converting a very large file to a very different data model, RDF and ontology issues, and cataloger efficiencies and problems in the new environment. We will also share thoughts on how this effort may fit into the global Linked Data environment, including how it can benefit from further engagement with other communities and services. |