Web Resource Management and Semantic Web

Abstract

The paper discusses the role of libraries in the Semantic Web. It provides a brief introduction to the Semantic Web and its technologies, including Resource Description Framework, and their relevance to library metadata. It describes the evolution of library expertise in developing metadata schemas and creating structured metadata, and the resulting quantities of rich, high-quality metadata records that might provide critical mass to the development and utility of the Semantic Web. The paper outlines modern analyses of user tasks and requirements for knowledge discovery, including International Standard Bibliographic Description, Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records, and RDA: resource description and access, and how the associated models and rules are being made available to the Semantic Web. Examples of current initiatives to make legacy metadata available are given, and the work of the W3 Library Linked Data Incubator group described. The paper then discusses the potential impact of the Semantic Web on library metadata management, as the focus changes from record to individual statement, and the beneficial impact on users of Web and library service.