Transforming metadata into linked data to improve digital collection discoverability: A CONTENTdm Pilot Project

by Greta Bahnemann, Michael Carroll, Paul Clough, Mario Einaudi, Chatham Ewing, Jeff Mixter, Jason Roy, Holly Tomren, Bruce Washburn, Elliot Williams

Cleveland Public Library partnered with OCLC and four other partner institutions to investigate methods for—and the feasibility of—transforming metadata into linked data to improve the discoverability and management of digitized cultural materials.

Transforming Metadata into Linked Data to Improve Digital Collection Discoverability shares the findings from the CONTENTdm Linked Data Pilot project. In this pilot project, OCLC partnered with five institutions that manage their digital collections with OCLC’s CONTENTdm service to investigate methods for—and the feasibility of—transforming metadata into linked data to improve the discoverability and management of digitized cultural materials and their descriptions.

Five institutions partnered with OCLC to collaborate on this Linked Data project, representing a diverse cross-section of different types of institutions:

• The Cleveland Public Library
• The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
• The Minnesota Digital Library
• Temple University Libraries
• University of Miami Libraries

The CONTENTdm Linked Data Pilot project is another stage in a growing body of linked data research and development that OCLC has undertaken over the past decade. The findings detailed in this report examine the benefits of working in a linked data environment, the potential to develop a shared data model, and the challenges facing efforts to transform metadata into linked data.

DOWNLOAD THE OCLC RESEARCH REPORT