2020-July-09 Creating multiple application profiles, RDF Application Profiles track (Ben Riesenberg)
Channel: LD4
Date: 2020-07-10

Cataloging in the Sinopia Linked Data Editor requires the use of JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) profiles, which provide templates defining resources which catalogers will make statements about and the properties used to make those statements. To catalog various formats of library materials, staff at the University of Washington (UW) Libraries have created multiple profiles containing resource and property definitions which are tailored to their respective formats. The properties and constraints within these profiles vary. The task of creating and maintaining multiple format-specific profiles presents a challenge. How can staff work efficiently when many profiles are desired (11 are in use at present), and some parts of the profiles can be reused across formats, but many definitions need to be customized in each? UW staff implemented a workflow for creating multiple format profiles from a single source. This source contains all properties needed across formats, and allows for the use of the same property in different ways for different formats. Using XML transformation tools (perhaps an unlikely choice for working with JSON data), and in particular XSLT 3.0, the team has created a workflow that has two important characteristics. First, it allows staff to make changes for any and all of the distinct format profiles in only one place. Second, it requires only a single step for staff to generate or update all format-specific profiles as needed. The intended audience for this tool demonstration includes technical services staff or others interested in workflows for creating machine-readable metadata application profiles.
Session Q&A: tinyurl.com/ld42020-profiles-questions