Jodene R. Pappas: Cataloging Services Librarian, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas (pappasj@sfasu.edu):
“One Record at a Time: Simply Starting Linked Data at a Mid-Sized University.” As a traditional cataloger with very limited knowledge of non-MARC metadata and other technologies, I learned the sooner my library starts implementing Linked Data, the more visible and discoverable our materials will be on the web for all our users. Other researchers have found many technical methods for accommodating large amounts of data. Mid-sized university libraries often do not have the resources that larger institutions have. Can mid-sized libraries, such as mine, participate on a smaller-scale to reap the benefits of Linked Data? With many physical collections dying a slow death and the need to make all resources discoverable from any search engine, linked data is key. To begin, we will look at the Linked Data Competency Framework and the Competency Index for Linked Data. Next, the data used is from an archive collection as well as books and a video of Charles Wilson, a U.S. representative from Texas, made popular by the movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” Using the bibliographic data we will attempt to implement Linked Data in a small, easily managed project. The purpose is to illustrate: 1) what knowledge and skills are needed to begin applying Linked Data, 2) the increased discoverability and usage that result from implementing Linked Data, and 3) an explanation of these factors to library administrators and staff. After linking the initial materials with each other as well as a Wikipedia article, the research method will compare overall usage rates of traditionally cataloged materials and finding aids to the same items having Linked Data applied.