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RDA: an introduction (and a middle and an end). Gordon Dunsire Head, Centre for Digital Library Research University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland Presented to the LAI Cataloguing and Indexing Group Annual Seminar and AGM: “The future of cataloguing” 5 Nov 2009. RDA.
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RDA: an introduction(and a middle and an end) Gordon Dunsire Head, Centre for Digital Library Research University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland Presented to the LAI Cataloguing and Indexing Group Annual Seminar and AGM: “The future of cataloguing” 5 Nov 2009
RDA • Resource Description and Access • A new standard for creating bibliographic metadata • Based on the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules • In development since 1841 (Panizzi’s rules for the British Museum) • And FRBR and other more modern stuff • Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records • Developed by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA); published 1998 • Statement of International Cataloguing Principles, 2009
User-centred features of RDA (1) • Improves the FRBRizability of catalogues • Covers all types of user • Those who need to find, identify, select, obtain and use information, and manage and organize information bibliographically • Covers all media • Print-based, digital; textual, visual, etc. • Equal, even treatment gives more control to the user in finding and choosing the most appropriate resources
FRBRization Work Symphony no.1 Is realised through Expression 1 Expression 2 LSO performance Is embodied in Manifestation 1.1 Manifestation 2.1 Manifestation 2.2 DVD-A Is exemplified by Item 1.1.1 Item 2.1.1 Item 2.2.1 Item 2.2.2 Copy on shelf
User-centred features of RDA (2) • Clearly distinguishes content from carrier • E.g. Moving pictures on DVD; text on CD-ROM • Helpful for users with special needs • E.g. restrict search to non-visual resources • Multinational • Anglo-centricity (and cataloguer-eccentricity) removed • Abbreviations and acronyms avoided • Latinisms removed • Farewell s.n., s.l., et al. • [Still arguing about square brackets!]
User-centred features of RDA (3) • Independent of technical metadata formats • Can be used with MARC, DC (Dublin Core) • And a whole bunch of other acronyms • Gives user familiar metadata regardless of what system is used • Designed for the digital environment • RDA will be published as an online product • So could be incorporated in user help facilities • E.g. How a “preferred title for the work” (uniform title) is derived
Cataloguer-centred features of RDA (1) • Online product designed to interface and integrate with cataloguing modules • Work-flow integration will give step-by-step and contextual access to content rules • Possibility of adding local examples • Possibility of “myRDA”, removing unwanted rules and unused options • LMS vendors being kept informed • Avoidance of repetitive strain injury • Looking for that rule on corporate body main entry in AARC2
Cataloguer-centred features of RDA (2) • More emphasis on cataloguer’s judgment • Guidelines rather than “rules” • Rules grouped by bibliographic element rather than format • Bibliographic elements related to FRBR entities (related to user tasks) • Why am I recording this information? • Authority control included • Generally compatible with AACR
A problem • Humans are very good at processing information • Creation, analysis, synthesis, communication • Some say this is what defines us • We have invented machines to process data • Faster, globally, non-stop • The result is the information eruption • The Web: a continual explosion • Information professionals cannot keep up • We need our machines to process metadata
Semantic Web • “… an evolving extension of the [WWW] in which the semantics of information and services on the web is defined, making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content.” • Wikipedia, English, 10.08 15 Jul 2009 • The basic building block is Resource Description Framework (RDF)
Resource Description Framework (RDF) • Simple metadata statements in the form of subject-predicate-object expressions, called triples • E.g. “This presentation” – “has creator” – “Gordon Dunsire” • “presentation” and “creator” are metadata structure terms • Classes and properties • “this ...” and “Gordon Dunsire” are metadata content terms • Instances or values
Machine-processing • RDF is about making machine-processable statements, requiring • A machine-processable language for representing RDF statements • Extensible Markup Language (XML) • A system of machine-processable identifiers for resources (subjects, predicates, objects) • Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) • For full machine-processing, an RDF statement is a set of three URIs
Identifiers • Things requiring identification (a URI): • Subject “This presentation” • e.g. its electronic location (URL): http://cdlr.strath.ac.uk/pubs/dunsireg/LAICIGRDA.pps • Predicate “has creator” • e.g. http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator • Object “Gordon Dunsire” • e.g. URI of entry in Library of Congress Name Authority File: http://errol.oclc.org/laf/nb2001-72552.html • Declaring vocabularies/values as “namespaces” in Semantic Web applications provides URIs
Linking RDA in the Semantic Web (1) • Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) RDA Task Group • RDA element set and RDA controlled vocabularies declared in RDF • E.g. Content type; carrier type • RDA/ONIX framework for resource categorization • Ontology underpinning content and carrier types • Vocabulary Mapping Framework project • Ontology underpinning resource and agent relationships • E.g. creator; collector; publisher; rights-holder
Linking RDA in the Semantic Web (2) • FRBR and International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) projects to declare element sets in IFLA namespace • In parallel with RDA • If metadata structure in RDF, then catalogue (instance) records can be parsed into linked data • Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), Rameau (French), Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) Summaries already available as linked data • Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) top levels announced
RDA in RDF (part 1) <?xml version="1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <rdf:RDFxmlns="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#" xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:rdfs="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#" xmlns:skos="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:reg="http://metadataregistry.org/uri/schema/registry/"> :<!-- NOTICE: This is a single-concept fragment --> :<!-- Scheme: RDA Content Type --> :<skos:ConceptSchemerdf:about="http://RDVocab.info/termList/RDAContentType"> ::<dc:title>RDA Content Type</dc:title> :</skos:ConceptScheme> XML namespaces SKOS NSDL Registry Vocabulary URI
RDA in RDF (part 2) Term URI :<!-- Concept: spoken word --> :<skos:Conceptrdf:about="http://RDVocab.info/termList/RDAContentType/1013" xml:lang="en"> ::<skos:inSchemerdf:resource="http://RDVocab.info/termList/RDAContentType"/> ::<reg:statusrdf:resource="http://metadataregistry.org/uri/RegStatus/1002"/> ::<skos:prefLabelxml:lang="en">spoken word</skos:prefLabel> ::<skos:definitionxml:lang="en">Content expressed through language in an audible form.</skos:definition> ::<skos:scopeNotexml:lang="en">Includes recorded readings, recitations, speeches, interviews, oral histories, etc., computer-generated speech, etc.</skos:scopeNote> ::<skos:prefLabelxml:lang="de">gesprocheneWorte</skos:prefLabel> <skos:scopeNotexml:lang="de">UmfasstaufgezeichneteLesungen, Rezitationen, Reden, Interviews, mündlicheÜberlieferungenusw. und maschinellerzeugteSprache.</skos:scopeNote> ::<skos:definitionxml:lang="de">Inhalt, derdurchSprache in einerhörbaren Form ausgedrücktwird.</skos:definition> :</skos:Concept> Term Definition Registry status term URI Term (German)
RDA in RDF (part 3) :<!-- Status properties used in this document --> :<skos:Conceptrdf:about="http://metadataregistry.org/uri/RegStatus/1002"> ::<skos:prefLabelxml:lang="en">New-Proposed</skos:prefLabel> :</skos:Concept> </rdf:RDF Registry status term URI Registry status term
A short history of the evolution of the library catalogue record
In the beginning ... Lee, T. B. Cataloguing has a future. - Audio disc (Spoken word). - Donated by the author. 1. Metadata ... the catalogue card
From flat-file record ... Bibliographic description Name authority Author: Lee, T. B. Name: Biography: Title: Cataloguing has a future ... Content type: Spoken word Carrier type: Audio disc Subject authority Subject: Metadata Term: Provenance: Donated by the author Definition: ... ... to relational record
From flat-file description ... Bibliographic description Name authority Author: Name: Lee, T. B. Biography: Title: Cataloguing has a future ... Work Content type: Spoken word Author: Carrier type: Audio disc Subject authority Subject: Subject: Term: Metadata Expression Provenance: Donated by the author Definition: Content type: Spoken word ... Manifestation Item ... to FRBR record
From FRBR record ... Work Name authority Author: Name: Lee, T. B. Subject: Subject authority Expression Term: Metadata Content type: Spoken word Manifestation RDA content type Title: Cataloguing has a future Term: Carrier type: Audio disc RDA carrier type Item Term: Provenance: Donor: Donated by the author Amazon/Publisher Title: ... to extinction!
Where is the record? • Implicit, not explicit • Everywhere and nowhere • A semantic Web will allow machines to create the record just-in-time • We will not have to maintain records just-in-case • The user will have control over the presentation • I want to see an archive or library or museum or Amazon or Google or Flickr or ? display • And by avoiding duplication, we can all get on with describing new stuff ...
The hyperdimensional (Tardis) card W3C Library Audio shop Lee, T. B. Cataloguing has a future. - Audio disc (Spoken word). - Donated by the author. 1. Metadata Lee Museum Spoken word archive “TARDIS four port USB hub, for office-bound Time Lords: Open a time vortex on your desk” – Pocket-lint
Thank you • Another identifier • g.dunsire@strath.ac.uk • owl:sameAs • http://errol.oclc.org/laf/nb2001-72552.html