Archives and Special Collections Linked Data

Book excerpt: "As libraries and other cultural heritage organizations plot a course to move toward a linked data future, it is important to ensure that all collections are represented in that future. While published works represented in monographs may be relatively easy to represent in linked data, this is not the case for special collections materials (rare books, manuscripts, photographs, institutional archives, etc.) that may be unique or may have special physical characteristics that are of particular interest for study. To help fill this knowledge gap, the OCLC Research Library Partnership (RLP) convened an archives and special collections linked data review group. The RLP group was supported by OCLC Research and OCLC Global Product Management Staff. Because OCLC Research has a long and strong history of working both on behalf of the archives and special collections community and on behalf of the larger library community in linked data, taking on the issue of special collections and linked data under the auspices of the RLP was a natural fit"--Page 5.