Re: Please read and comment on the "Scope of this report" section

Hi Jodi,

Thanks!
I generally like the grain, and the way it's written. But of course if I'm ask for comments I will find some ;-)


> Data used primarily for library-management purposes is generally out of scope.

As a non-specialist of what library-management may cover or not, I might infer that loan data does fit into that definition, and thus is out of scope. And I guess it is in scope, isn't it?


Then, on the three definitions for datasets-element sets-value vocabularies, Marcia, Jeff, William and I have also put them in the draft section on vocabularies and datasets [1], as we were asked to. This raises two questions:

1. Are we happy with such duplication? I personally think it can be alright, especially if your version is much shorter than ours. But maybe others will think differently. In fact I can also understand if at the level of such an introduction, we just have the first sentences on library data in general (" "Library data" refers to any type of digital information [etc.]") and then point to the section on vocabularies and datasets for further detail.

2. How much should we keep both sets of definitions aligned? For the datasets and vocabularies section, we have amended the original definitions. In particular, Jeff has made a point that the formulation for "metadata element sets" hints that classes are not elements. Which is not so true!


> to facilitate linkages among datasets, element sets, and value vocabularies.

This sentence hints that the distinction we make is general to the linked data environment. Perhaps we should use a more general notion here than these three categories. That would also help not introduce them in the scope section, if we end up judging it's better not to do so.


> Linked Data uses Web addresses (URIs)


"addresses" reads very much URL-oriented to me. I think I can live with it in the text, but I'd be curious to hear whether others feel the same!


> Library Linked Data. "Library Linked Data" (LLD) is any type of library data that is either natively maintained, or merely exposed, in the form of RDF triples, thus facilitating linking.


By the book, LLD should be exposed according to the "principles" mentioned in the paragraph just before. Having RDF triples on a file somewhere is not enough. This sounds like nitpicking, but maybe that could really make a difference, for some readers.

Cheers,

Antoine

[1] http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/wiki/Draft_Vocabularies_Datasets_Section


> Could you please read and give feedback on the "Scope of this report" section? As we discussed Thursday, it would be very helpful to get feedback from the entire group on this one!
>
> I've pasted the text below; it's also at
> http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/wiki/Benefits#.22Library_Linked_Data.22:_Scope_of_this_report
> Please pardon the non-plain-text; this hasmore than the usual amount of wiki formatting.
>
> Let us know what you think -- or of course, feel free to edit it!
>
> -Jodi
>
>
>     "Library Linked Data": Scope of this report
>
> The scope of this report -- "library linked data" -- can be understood as follows:
> *Library*. The word "library" (analogously to "archive" and "museum") refers to three distinct but related concepts: a collection, a place where the collection is located, and an agent which curates the collection and administers the location. Collections may be public or private, large or small, and are not limited to any particular types of resources.
> *Library data*. "Library data" refers to any type of digital information produced or curated by libraries that describes resources or aids their discovery. Data used primarily for library-management purposes is generally out of scope. This report pragmatically distinguishes three types of library data based on their typical use:
>
>     * *Datasets*. A dataset is a collection of structured descriptions of "things" such as books, articles, and sound recordings, often in the form of a catalog or of metadata records.
>     * *Element sets*. A element set, metadata element set, is a set of elements (also called properties or attributes) and classes (entity types) used to describe the items of datasets. Element sets in the sense of this report may be RDF vocabularies, schemas, or ontologies.
>     * *Value vocabularies*. A value vocabulary is a set of concepts -- e.g., topics, art styles, and authors -- associated with elements as values. Examples include thesauri, code lists, classification schemes, subject headings, controlled vocabularies, and other such knowledge organization schemes.
>
>     As an example of the pragmatic nature of these distinctions, note that an authority file, which could be seen as a dataset (providing contextual information about author names), would be considered in this report a value vocabulary because of its typical use in descriptive metadata.
>
> *Linked Data*. "Linked Data" (LD) refers to data published in accordance with principles <http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html> designed to facilitate linkages among datasets, element sets, and value vocabularies. Linked Data uses Web addresses (URIs) as globally unique identifiers for dataset items, elements, and value concepts, analogously to the library world's identifiers for authority control. Linked Data defines relationships between things; these relationships can be used for navigating between, or integrating, complementary sources of information.
> *Library Linked Data*. "Library Linked Data" (LLD) is any type of library data that is either natively maintained, or merely exposed, in the form of RDF triples, thus facilitating linking.

Received on Tuesday, 24 May 2011 21:20:44 UTC