Linked Data: Implementation, Use, and Perceptions across European National Libraries. Laura Francesca Cagnazzo This dissertation was submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of MSc Information and Library Studies DEPT. OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE AUGUST 2017 Declaration This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc of the University of Strathclyde. I declare that this dissertation embodies the results of my own work and that it has been composed by myself. Following normal academic conventions, I have made due acknowledgement to the work of others. I declare that I have sought, and received, ethics approval via the Departmental Ethics Committee as appropriate to my research. I give permission to the University of Strathclyde, Department of Computer and Information Sciences, to provide copies of the dissertation, at cost, to those who may in the future request a copy of the dissertation for private study or research. I give permission to the University of Strathclyde, Department of Computer and Information Sciences, to place a copy of the dissertation in a publicly available archive. Yes [ √ ] No [ ] I declare that the word count for this dissertation (excluding title page, declaration, abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, list of illustrations, references and appendices is 21,979. I confirm that I wish this to be assessed as a Type 1 2 3 4 5 Dissertation. Signature: Date: 16/08/2017 ii Abstract Since its creation, the digital world has been evolving at exponential rate, presenting both its developers and users with the constant challenge of updating their skills and knowledge in order to support its development, and take advantage of its potential. Alongside with the more popular World Wide Web and Web 2.0, another version of the web has been developing quietly, compared to the spectacular growth of its ‘relatives’: the Semantic Web, also known as Web 3.0 or Web of Data. If the expression ‘Semantic Web’ reflects the more general concept, ‘linked data’ can be defined as the key tool to realise the idea. This dissertation focused on the investigation of the implementation and use of linked data across national libraries in Europe. Considering the increasing weight that the ‘Semantic Web’ discussion has been gaining on the international scene over the past decade or so, it was deemed necessary undertaking a study to understand the role that libraries are playing in such context. The selection of the research sample fell on national libraries, as organisations invested with the responsibility of leading and shaping the development of the cultural heritage network of their own country. The aim of the research is to deliver a comprehensive picture of the current state of linked data implementation in Europe, gathering information on reasons, purposes, and uses of this technology, together with perceptions on related benefits and challenges as per the experience of the information professionals involved in the implementing process. What emerged from this study is a strong need to spread the awareness of the Semantic Web potential within the library environment. Although various institutions have applied linked data to their resources, they are still in the minority, and a considerable lack of expertise has been identified. Some of the projects achieved have showed the advantages that linked data can deliver in terms of augmenting the visibility and discoverability of library data, alongside with overcoming linguistic barriers, and supporting interoperability. However, several issues still remain unsolved, requiring the efforts of further research. Whilst the early implementers bewailed a lack of guidelines and tools to assist their first steps, the situation has started to change, with an increasing number of vendors and developers contributing to the Semantic Web advancement. Nonetheless, libraries clearly expressed the demand for positive and successful cases of linked data use, that can best support and motivate their choice of adhering to the web of data principles. iii iv Acknowledgements I would like to express my warmest thanks to Osma Suominen, who first agreed to take part in this research, as interviewee, manifesting his interest and appreciation for this project, and who also suggested some of the latest publications on the topic of linked data implementation in the library sector. I would also like to thank Carla Colombati and Klára Rösslerová for their advice and for addressing me towards helpful contacts. A big thank you goes to my supervisor, Dr Diane Rasmussen-Pennington, for her guidance, patience, professional and moral support at any step of this work. Last but not least, I thank my partner, Kenneth Barlee, for the endless supply of cheesecake and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine provided throughout the project. v “On two occasions I have been asked, 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question”. (Charles Babbage). “The best thing to do with your data will be thought of by someone else”. (Rufus Pollock). vi Table of Contents Declaration ............................................................................................................... ii Abstract ................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. v Table of Figures ........................................................................................................ x Table of Tables ......................................................................................................... x 1. Introduction ............................................................................... 1 1.1. Linked data ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Library data ..................................................................................................... 1 1.3. National libraries ............................................................................................. 2 1.4. Research context ............................................................................................. 3 1.5. Problem statement ......................................................................................... 4 1.6. Methodology ................................................................................................... 4 1.7. Learning outcomes .......................................................................................... 5 1.8. Dissertation structure ..................................................................................... 5 2. Literature Review ...................................................................... 6 2.1. Semantic Web and Linked Data ...................................................................... 6 2.1.1. Linked Data principles ................................................................................. 8 2.1.2. Linked Data or Linked Open Data?............................................................ 11 2.1.3. Challenges of the Semantic Web vision .................................................... 12 2.1.4. Benefits of Semantic Web and Linked Data .............................................. 13 2.2. Linked Data development: outlining some of the main projects ................. 14 2.3. Linked Data and cultural heritage institutions .............................................. 18 2.3.1. Why would libraries and cultural institutions need Linked Data? ............ 19 2.3.2. Challenges of Linked Data implementation .............................................. 21 2.3.3. Examples of Linked Data use in the cultural heritage sector .................... 23 vii 2.4. The role of national libraries ......................................................................... 25 3. Research Methodology ............................................................ 28 3.1. Literature review ........................................................................................... 28 3.2. Interviews ...................................................................................................... 30 3.3. Online resources analysis .............................................................................. 32 3.4. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 33 4. Findings and analysis ............................................................... 34 4.1. Linked Data uses across national libraries .................................................... 36 4.1.1. Contributing to the Linked Open Data cloud ............................................ 36 4.1.2. Linked Data for bibliographic and authority data ..................................... 37 4.1.3. Publishing the national bibliography as Linked Data ................................ 39 4.1.4. Linked Data for digital resources .............................................................. 40 4.1.5. Thesauri and ontologies ............................................................................ 40 4.2. Implementation process ............................................................................... 41 4.3. Reasons for implementation ........................................................................