Re: Open Library and RDF

Quoting Thomas Baker <tbaker@tbaker.de>:


> I take the point, yet I would hope the problem could be
> partitioned to put alot of that detail out of scope for the
> conversation with the broader community outside libraries.
> Strings like:
>
>     3 transparencies (15 overlays) : b&w ; 26 x 22 cm


One more thing, sorry. We need a good analysis of the possible uses  
for the library data beyond being displayed to a human. It turns out  
that size (e.g. 24 cm) is highly useful to libraries moving items into  
compact storage units. The number of pages can be the key evidence  
that two similar editions are or are not actually the same  
manifestation. And for some specialists, colour can be a factor in  
determining whether a new work has been produced.

One of my talking points at library meetings is the need to produce  
more data, less text. In the end, it should be actually *easier* to  
input, since people are having to key these awkward strings. A set of  
boxes for H, W, D, and a check for "inch" v "cm" would produce more  
accurate data, whether or not that data is in RDF. This is a change  
that needs to take place in any case, but that is not supportable by  
MARC.

kc



-- 
Karen Coyle
kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net
ph: 1-510-540-7596
m: 1-510-435-8234
skype: kcoylenet

Received on Monday, 16 August 2010 18:21:45 UTC