diane hillmann: rda vocabularies in the semantic web

What They Are, How They Work

The RDA Vocabularies

2ALA TechSource Webinar

Sorting out some important definitionsA brief history lesson on the RDA VocabulariesA structural tour of the vocabularies, including:

Rationale and decision makingGeneral and FRBR-constrained elementsPotential for extension

Putting it all together Language versions of RDA VocabulariesImportant related workOur focus is on ‘Why’ not ‘How’ (we’re not at

‘How’ yet)

Nov. 17, 2011

What We’ll be Doing Today


How RDA will be working in the real worldWHY?: There aren’t tools yet, and we don’t really

know what they’ll look like …But maybe we can make some educated guesses?

Most likely the tools will be form-based (like the MARC tools are)

There are likely to be fewer places where text is typed in and more where pull-down lists are available

The FRBR structure, if used intelligently by vendors, should save time and money, as re-use of data will be possible (choices will still need to be made to identify the appropriate work and expression when these exist)

Nov. 17, 2011

What We Can’t Show You Yet


XML assumes a 'closed' world (domain), usually defined by a schema:"We know all of the data describing this resource. The single

description must be a valid document according to our schema. The data must be valid.”

XML's document model provides a neat equivalence to a metadata 'record’

RDF assumes an 'open' world:"There's an infinite amount of unknown data describing this

resource yet to be discovered. It will come from an infinite number of providers. There will be an infinite number of descriptions. Those descriptions must be consistent."

RDF's statement-oriented data model has no notion of 'record’ (rather, statements can be aggregated for a fuller description of a resource)

Nov. 17, 2011

Two Models of ‘the World’


In XML these are ‘attribute/value pairs’ Ex.: Author = Twain, Mark

Where, in the context of a bounded record structure we know what we’re describing

In the Resource Description Framework (RDF, the language of the Semantic Web), these are independent statements: Ex.: The author of Huckleberry Finn is Mark

Twain, or subject = Huckeberry Finnpredicate = hasAuthorObject = Mark Twain

Nov. 17, 2011

In Both, We Talk About Statements


We need to expand our ideas of what machines can and should do for us

We need to articulate better what we, as humans, bring to the table (and stop thinking we need to control it ALL)

We need to educate ourselves about this new world we live in (what it is and isn’t)

We need to understand enough to work with our vendors to make it happen in our libraries

Nov. 17, 2011

What Does This Imply for Us?


A Brief History

It all started in

London, the last

day of April 2007

Nov. 17, 2011


The participants agreed that DCMI and the Joint Steering Committee for the Development of RDA should work together to:Develop an RDA Element VocabularyExpose RDA Value VocabulariesDevelop an RDA Application Profile, based on

FRBR and FRADThe first two are largely complete; the third is

started

What Was Accomplished

Nov. 17, 2011


It represented a recognition on the part of library leaders that it was essential to break out of the data silo of the past

The collaboration started at that meeting is resonating throughout the world of library data standards (more on this later)

It started the process of exposing library experience and knowledge to a larger audience

It set the stage for libraries to broaden their view of what they do and what they offer the information world

Nov. 17, 2011

Why Was This Meeting Important?


We used the Semantic Web as our “mental model”Wanted to create a “bridge” between XML and RDF

to support innovation in the library community as a whole, not just those at the cutting edge or the trailing edge

We registered the FRBR entities as classes in a ‘FRBR in RDA’ vocabulary, to enable specific relationships between RDA properties and FRBR

IFLA has followed suit using the Open Metadata Registry to add the ‘official’ FRBR entities, FRAD, FRSAR and ISBDThis provides exciting opportunities to relate all the

vocabularies together

Nov. 17, 2011

The General Strategy


Property and value vocabularies are registered in the Open Metadata Registry (formerly the NSDL Registry): http://metadataregistry.org/rdabrowse.htm

Used RDF Schema (RDFS), Simple Knowledge Organisation System (SKOS) and Web Ontology Language (OWL)

Decisions oriented to favor approaches that can be generalized to make other vocabulary based standards web-friendly, available for use in applications, and easily updated by communities

Structure: Rationale & Decisions

Nov. 17, 2011

http://metadataregistry.org/rdabrowse.htm


FRBR in RDA Vocabulary declared as classesRDA Properties declared as a ‘generalized’

vocabulary, with no explicit relationship to FRBR entities

Subproperties for the generalized elements may be explicitly related to FRBR entities (using ‘domain’)Label/Name includes (Work) or other class to provide

unique name (unless the entity name already appears in the name of the property)

Other generalized subproperties usable by others not tied to FRBR

All this is done according to available best practices for declaring vocabularies on the Web

The Structure, Simplified

Nov. 17, 2011


We think of the ‘generalized’ RDA properties as the real RDA vocabulary The ‘bounded’ properties should be seen as the

first pass at an Application ProfileExtensions can be built more usefully from the

generalized propertiesMapping will be cleaner using the generalized

properties (since most properties mapped to or mapped from will not be based on FRBR)

Generalized properties much more acceptable to non-library implementers (not often using FRBR)

Why Generalized Properties?

Nov. 17, 2011

ALA TechSource Webinar 14

Property (Generalized, no FRBR relationship)

Subproperty (with relationship to one FRBR entity)

FRBR Entity

SemanticWeb

Library ApplicationsThe Simple Case:

One Property-- One FRBR Entity

Nov. 17, 2011


Book format

Book format (Manifestation)

Manifestation

SemanticWeb

Library ApplicationsThe Simple Case:

One Property-- One FRBR Entity

Nov. 17, 2011

ALA TechSource Webinar 16Nov. 17, 2011

http://RDVocab.info/Elements/bookFormatManifestation

http://RDVocab.info/Elements/bookFormatManifestation


There are multiple techniques used in RDA to make the connection between FRBR entities and RDA propertiesWe tried to reconcile those in the RDA Vocabularies

Some properties related to more than one FRBR entityRelationships in Appendix J actually include the

name of the FRBR entity in the name and have separate definitions (we re-used this strategy for the FRBR-bounded properties)

Other properties and sub-properties appear multiple times in the text and ERDs, with the same definitions and no indication that they might be repeated elsewhere (we consolidated these)

Nov. 17, 2011

More Complex Relationships


Property (Generalized, no FRBR relationship)



FRBR Entity

FRBR Entity

SemanticWeb

Library ApplicationsThe Not-So-Simple Case: One Property—more than

One FRBR EntityNov. 17, 2011


Extent

Extent (Item)

Extent (Manifestation)

FRBR Item

FRBR Manifestation

SemanticWeb

Library ApplicationsThe Not-So-Simple Case: One Property—more than

One FRBR EntityNov. 17, 2011


In 2005, the DC Usage Board worked with LC to build a formal representation of the MARC Relators so that these terms could be used with DC

This work provided a template for the registration of the role terms in RDA (in Appendix I) and, by extension, the other RDA relationshipsRole and relationship properties are registered at

the same level as elements, rather than as attributes (as MARC does with relators, and RDA does in its XML schemas)

Applications can choose either approachNov. 17, 2011

Roles: Attributes or Properties?


“Super” Property


Subproperty (Generalized, no FRBR relationship)

FRBR Entity

SemanticWeb

Library Applications The Roles Case: Properties, Subproperties

and FRBR Entities

Mapping,Etc.

Nov. 17, 2011


RDA:Creator

RDArole:Composer (Work)

RDArole:Composer

Work

SemanticWeb

Library Applications The Roles Case: Properties, Subproperties

and FRBR Entities

Mapping,Etc.

Nov. 17, 2011


RDA sets up Publication, Distribution, Manufacture and Production statements very much the way they have been done since catalog card days:Assumed aggregation of Place, Name and Date are

obvious leftovers from catalog cards, and are not necessary to enable indexing or display of those elements together if libraries want to do that

We viewed those aggregations as ‘Syntax Encoding Schemes’ (as defined in the DCAM) and built in ways to accommodate them within the bounded propertiesThose using the generalized properties (outside

libraries, usually) need not be constrained by these traditional aggregations of properties

Nov. 17, 2011

Aggregated Statements


Aggregated Statement (no domain or range)

Aggregated Statement Subproperty

Range: RDA Syntax Encoding Scheme (Subclass of RDF Datatype)

Dom

ain

: FR

BR

E

ntity

Range: [Specific] Encoding Scheme (Subclass)

General Property (no domain or range)

Subproperty

Pre-coordinated Statements: Structure

Option 1Nov. 17, 2011


Publication Statement (no domain or range)

Publication Statement (Manifestation)

Range: RDA Syntax Encoding Scheme (Subclass of RDF Datatype)

Dom

ain

: M

an

ifesta

tion

Range: Publication Statement Encoding Scheme (Subclass)

Place of publication (no domain or range)

Place of publication (Manifestation)

Pre-coordinated Statements: Example

Option 1Nov. 17, 2011


Release from the tyranny of recordsPotential for use with a variety of encodingsAbility to maintain statements at a more granular level

Opportunity to re-think how we build, maintain and share data

Potential for sharing data beyond the library siloBoth directions!

A challenge to our old notions of what library data can do and should be doingAs our users migrate to the web and away from library

catalogs, we need to follow them (and lead them appropriately!)

What Does This Structure Buy Us?

Nov. 17, 2011

28Nov. 17, 2011

Time for Questions?


How do we take advantage of the RDA Vocabulary infrastructure?Relationships between properties is built-in,

allowing ‘bottom up’ aggregation of dataTools to enable easier data creation (with

machine assistance) are critical Our thinking about how we build and share

data needs to reflect modern ideas about data use, not MARCEx.: records as aggregations of information,

not templates to be filled in (although some tools may continue to look like that’s what they’re doing) Nov. 17, 2011

Putting it All Together


ID=23456 hasAuthor “Kurt Vonnegut”

ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle

“Bluebeard, a novel”

ID=23456 isFormOfWork “Novel”

ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage

“English”

ID=23456

hasPlaceOfPublication “New

York”

ID=23456

hasStatementOfEdition “1 st

trade edition”

ID=23456 h

asLan

guageO

fExp

ress

ion

“Englis

h”

ID=23456 hasPublisher

“Delacorte Press”

ID=23456 hasPublicationDate

“1987”

Statements on the Floor?







“English”

ID=23456


York”

ID=23456


trade edition”

ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression

“English”




“1987”

Is This Really Chaos?







“English”

ID=23456


York”

ID=23456


trade edition”


“English”




“1987”

Or Just an AggregationIn the Making?



ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle “Bluebeard, a novel”



“English”

ID=23456


York”

ID=23456


trade edition”


“English”




“1987”





ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage “English”

ID=23456


York”

ID=23456


trade edition”


“English”




“1987”






ID=23456


York”

ID=23456


trade edition”ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression

“English”




“1987”






ID=23456


York”

ID=23456


trade edition”ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression

“English”




“1987”

Work


ID=23456


York”

ID=23456


trade edition”

ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression “English”




“1987”


ID=23456


York”

ID=23456 hasStatementOfEdition “1st

trade edition”





“1987”


ID=23456


York”

ID=23456 hasStatementOfEdition “1st

trade edition”





“1987”

Expression


ID=23456 hasPlaceOfPublication “New

York”




“1987”



York”

ID=23456 hasPublisher “Delacorte Press”


“1987”



York”


ID=23456 hasPublicationDate “1987”



York”


ID=23456 hasPublicationDate “1987”

Manifestation


The inclusion of generalized properties provides a path for extension of RDA into specialized library communities and non-library communitiesThey may have a different notion of how FRBR

‘aggregates’ For example, a colorized version of a film may be

viewed as a separate workThey may not wish to use FRBR at allThey may have additional properties to include,

that have a relationship to the RDA propertiesThis allows other communities to use this data without

problems

Extension

Nov. 17, 2011


RDA:adaptedAs

RDA:adaptedAsARadioScript

hasSubprope

rty

Nov. 17, 2011


RDA:adaptedAs


KidLit:adaptedAsAPictureBook

hasSubproperty

hasSubprope

rtyNov. 17, 2011


RDA:adaptedAs


KidLit:adaptedAsAPictureBook

hasSubproperty

hasSubprope

rty

KidLit:adaptedAsAChapterBook

hasS

ubprop

e

rty

Nov. 17, 2011


We wrote about the decisions we made for RDA in DLib:http://dlib.org/dlib/january10/hillmann/01hillmann.html

Need to continue to disclose what we’ve learned and work on building best practices documentation in this environment

We need research and innovation to help us move forward

What We’ve Learned

Nov. 17, 2011

http://dlib.org/dlib/january10/hillmann/01hillmann.html

http://dlib.org/dlib/january10/hillmann/01hillmann.html

49Nov. 17, 2011

More Questions?


Registered elements and vocabularies can include multiple languages

The Open Metadata Registry has been working with the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek to demonstrate this with German translations in the OMR for specific vocabulariesOther language versions being discussed with

national libraries and language groups by ALA Publishing in conjunction with translations of RDA guidance text

OMR enhancements planned to make building of language versions easier

Nov. 17, 2011

Multi-Lingual RDA


Important Related Work:IFLA“Functional Requirements” family or “FRBR

family of models”:FRBR, 1998: Bibliographic Records [data]FRAD, 2009: Authority DataFRSAD, [2010]: Subject Authority Data

Consolidated model in developmentRDF/XML representation of the consolidated

edition of ISBD.Relating FR, ISBD and RDA, SKOS, FOAF,

etc.

Nov. 17, 2011

53

FR in RDFRepresentation of FRBRer model element set is

mainly completeClasses and properties have “approved” statusFRAD and FRSAD close behind

Representation in Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS) is informing work on combining and consolidating the model familyAlso supplies “learning curve” for Semantic Web

environmentFRBR is a conceptual model built on the E-R

methodology which is intrinsically applicable to representation in RDF, while ISBD is a data standard

ALA TechSource WebinarNov. 17, 2011


Extent

Extent of textExtent of still image

Extent of text (I/)Extent of still image (I/)Extent of text (M/) Extent of still image (M/)

Extent (M/) Extent (I/)

Label (Domain/Range)Subproperty

RDA properties

Nov. 17, 2011


Extent

Extent of text

Extent of text (M/)

Extent (M/)


RDA

has extent of the carrier (M/)

FRBRSameAs

has extent (R/)

ISBD

has extent of the carrier

FRBR lite ISBD lite

has extent

RDA/IFLA properties (minimal linkage)

Note: Manifestation sub-class-of Resource

Nov. 17, 2011


Extent

Extent of text

Extent of text (M/)

Extent (M/)


RDA

has extent of the carrier (M/)

FRBRSameAs

has extent (R/)

ISBD


FRBR lite ISBD lite

has extent

RDA/IFLA properties (maximum linkage)

Nov. 17, 2011



RDA FRBRSameAs

ISBD

FRBR lite ISBD lite

RDA/IFLA/other properties (minimal linkage)

DCT

Extent (/S)

DC

format

Extent

Extent of text

Extent of text (M/)

Extent (M/) has extent of the carrier (M/)

has extent (R/)


has extent

BIBO

numPages (D/l) numVolumes (C/l)

Classes: Manifestation, Resource, Collection, Document, SizeOrDuration, literal

Note: Document sub-class-of Resource

Nov. 17, 2011


DCMI/RDA Task Group Wiki: http://dublincore.org/dcmirdataskgroup/

RDA Vocabularies: http://metadataregistry.org/rdabrowse.htm

Diane: [email protected]

Slides on IFLA Vocabularies by Gordon DunsireFlickr images thanks to: Trois TÃªtes (TT),

Craft*ology

Links and Contact Info

Nov. 17, 2011

diane hillmann: rda vocabularies in the semantic web

Education

ala techsource webinar

rda vocabulary

frbr structure

development of rda

frbr ifla

frbr entities subproperties

official frbr entities

classes rda properties