Re: Open Library and RDF

On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 11:21:12AM -0700, Karen Coyle wrote:
> >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.

Excellent examples.

> 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.

A good idea!

Tom

-- 
Tom Baker <tbaker@tbaker.de>

Received on Monday, 16 August 2010 18:29:14 UTC