I think the primary tension here is not between document oriented
MARC/MODS and RDF, but between document oriented MARC/MODS and the
models present in FRBR and RDA. To some extent these tensions are
eased, as MARC takes on features that will allow it to be a carrier
for RDA [1]. I haven't personally evaluated these changes, but in
principle it seems like a decent compromise until other serialization
formats for RDA are proposed.
The other tension is that the Future of Bibliographic Control report
[2] really highlighted the need for LC and libraries in general to
integrate their data into the web:
"""
3.1.2 Integrate Library Standards into Web Environment
3.1.2.1 All: Express library standards in machine-readable and
machine-actionable
formats, in particular those developed for use on the Web.
3.1.2.2 All: Provide access to standards through registries or Web
sites so that the
standards can be used by any and all Web applications.
3.1.2.3 LC: Begin transitioning LC-managed vocabularies to a platform
that is both
Web services-friendly and allows files to be downloaded for
incorporation
into other applications. These vocabularies include the many
lists that are
used in bibliographic records such as language and geographic
codes, resource
format codes, etc.
"""
RDF is a data model that is made for (and of) the web [3] -- so I
personally think it is well suited for making library data more a part
of the web. That being said, I think an xml serialization format other
than application/rdf+xml could represent bibliographic data
sufficiently.
But at this stage, I think we need the flexibility to figure out what
vocabularies work, and which don't. Kudos to the Royal Library of
Sweden, the National Library of Hungary, the Deutschen
Nationalbibliothek for kicking the tires, and giving URLs to the
things libraries care about. Hopefully we'll see more library software
companies recognize the business opportunity here.
//Ed
[1] http://www.loc.gov/marc/RDAinMARC29.html
[2] http://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/news/lcwg-ontherecord-jan08-final.pdf
[3] http://www.w3.org/1999/11/11-WWWProposal/thenandnow
Received on Tue Apr 20 2010 - 10:20:55 EDT