Reimagining  digital data curation—New structured  data approaches for digital collections
Channel: OCLC Research
Date: 03/02/2020

How can we make it easier for researchers to find, evaluate, and use digitized cultural materials? How can we improve library staff efficiency when describing unique content? OCLC is collaborating with library partners on a pilot project seeking answers to these questions.

The partner institutions—Cleveland Public Library; Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; and University of Minnesota—use CONTENTdm, a service to build, preserve, and showcase their digital collections. The project team is testing workflows for converting partner metadata in CONTENTdm into linked structured data; maintaining and creating metadata; and leveraging the structured data to improve discoverability, while also maximizing the return on investment of staff time.

The presenters will provide an overview of the project, discuss the lessons learned so far, and preview the work ahead. Library partners will provide their perspectives on the project’s developments and share their insights about how this work advances a reimagining of digital collections that offers unprecedented opportunities for making meaningful discoveries and connections.

The pilot project is proceeding in three phases, running through mid-year 2020. Wikibase, the platform used to support WikiData, was selected for this project because of its extensive services and features, and engaged community. For more on the project, visit oc.lc/cdmld.