RDA Relationship Designators and Linked Data: Solutions to

Frustrations?

Scott CowanMLIS Candidate

Faculty of Information and Media StudiesUniversity of Western Ontario

Code4Lib NorthMay 1-2, 2014

Intro/Disclaimer

The Catalogue: Frustrations

• Think of the user!

• Why are the catalogues so hard to search??

• The simpler the better

The Big Questions

• Does the problem lie with the metadata we create for catalogue records?  Or is the way we encode that metadata?

• Some possible solutions…

• Thinking like a (wannabe) cataloguer…

Big Data vs. Linked Data

• Big Data– Example: Amazon, LibraryThing,

NovelList–Using user tags/recommenders– Problems:• Personal accounts for everyone?• Security/privacy issues• So much work!! • Assumptions on the user

Problems With Current Attempts

Problems With Current Attempts

Big Data vs. Linked Data II

• Linked Data - using RDA relationship designators–What can they do?

• Link many items to one item• “provide more specific information about the

nature of the relationship”• Specific – e.g. the relationship between a

screenplay and the screenwriter responsible for the work can be recorded using specific terms (screenwriter) or general terms (author)

• Ability to change terms to what is appropriate

RDA Relationship Designators• Examples:– Artist– Composer– Editor– Performer (conductor, moderator, instrumentalist)

• Really important when cataloguing CDs/DVDs

– Adaptation of….– Choreography for….– Libretto based on… – Cadenza composed for…– Remake of…

How would it work? (The Old…)100 1 $a Maupin, Armistead. $e author.

245 1 0 $a Further tales of the city / $c Armistead Maupin.

…..

490 1 $a Tales of the city series

500 $a “Published in somewhat different form in the San Francisco Chronicle.”—T.p. verso.

500 0 $a Sequel to: Tales of the city and More Tales of the city.

650 0 $a City and town life $x Fiction

651 0 $a San Francisco (Calif.) $x Fiction

800 1 $a Maupin, Armistead. $t Tales of the city series ; $vv. 3.

100 1 $a Maupin, Armistead.245 1 0 $a Further tales of the city / $c Armistead Maupin.

…..500 $a “Published in somewhat different form in the San Francisco

Chronicle.”—T.p. verso.500 $a Sequel to: Tales of the city; and More tales of the city.650 0 $a Singleton, Mary Ann (Fictitious character) $v Fiction.650 0 $a Tolliver, Michael (Fictitious character) $v Fiction.650 0 $a Madrigal, Anna (Fictitious character) $v Fiction.780 0 0 $a Maupin, Armistead. $t Tales of the city.780 0 0 $a Maupin, Armistead. $t More Tales of the city.785 0 0 $a Maupin, Armistead. $t Babycakes.787 0 $i Adapted as television program: $a Further tales of the city

(mini-series)787 0 $i Musical variations: $t Tales of the city musical

How Would it Work? (The New…)

Problems with Music

Ryman, Geoff. Was.1992

Ryman, Geoff. Was.1992

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz (Motion picture)

Reinterprets

Reinterprets

Ryman, Geoff. Was.1992

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz (Motion picture)

Frances Gumm

L. Frank BaumDorothy GaelReinterprets

Reinterprets

Fictionalizes

ImaginesFictionalizes

Inspires

Ryman, Geoff. Was.1992

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz (Motion picture)

Frances Gumm

L. Frank BaumDorothy Gael

Wicked Wicked: The Musical

Reinterprets

Reinterprets

Reinterprets

Reinterprets

Fictionalizes

ImaginesFictionalizes

Adapts

Inspires

Concessions…

• Would this create reams of unnecessary links?

• Yes, users may look up info in Amazon, LibraryThing, GoodReads, etc. BUT that is putting some large assumptions on the users

Final Thoughts/Questions

• We want people to use the catalogue, but subject headings and current use of metadata encoding makes it a challenge.– A lot of work goes into the making of the

bibliographic records and cataloguers are really proud of the records they create.

• I'm not here as an expert programmer, or even as an expert cataloguer – yet!  It seems that some mix of user tagging and control is the best way to go.  

• Any thoughts/suggestions on what we can do?