Linked Data Exploratorium

By now, most technical services librarians realize that Linked Data is a topic of importance when considering the future of cataloging. However, it is one thing to realize the importance of a topic and quite another to feel empowered to learn about a topic. There are many resources about Linked Data, but it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start in your professional education on the topic. The Linked Data Exploratorium, a product of the Linked Data for Professional Education (LD4PE) project, is a comprehensive resource that can go a long way toward reducing that feeling of “Where do I start?”

The lead sponsors of LD4PE are the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative, and the University of Washington iSchool. According to the Project History page on their web site, the goal of the project is to create “an online learning environment in support of instruction in the principles and practice of Linked Data – a ‘language lab’ of software-supported methods for data processing and analysis.”

A distinctive feature of the Linked Data Exploratorium is its competency framework. One hurdle for me when trying to learn about Linked Data is the fact that I feel like I don’t even know what I need to learn.  The Competency Index (CI) breaks down the many components of Linked Data into distinct competencies, or skills that people looking to get involved in Linked Data projects should master. The Linked Data Exploratorium web site provides some information about the Competency Index for Linked Data, and the CI is also available as a Google document, to allow for comments and feedback. 

The Competency Index is a very detailed document, but the main competencies addressed (which each have their own sub-competencies) are:

• Fundamentals of Resource Description Framework
• Fundamentals of Linked Data
• RDF vocabularies and application profiles
• Creating and transforming Linked Data
• Interacting with RDF data
• Creating Linked Data applications

The Competency Index informs the organization of the learning resources that have been gathered by the Linked Data for Professional Education project for the Linked Data Exploratorium. It is possible to browse the resources by competency, so you can identify the resources that most closely relate to the skills and knowledge you wish to acquire. Overall, the Linked Data Exploratorium looks like a great jumping-off point for those looking to learn more about Linked Data.

Refresh and Recharge and Live and Learn: A Round-Up of Recent Management Resources

Am I the only one that's a little exhausted after this long winter that seems to be so reluctant to actually leave and hand the reins over to spring and summer? Before the incessant sunshine of spring cleaning and creativity has to come out in full force, it’s best for all of us to refresh and recharge. For those feeling a little bit like me, the HubSpot marketing blog recently posted on how to motivate yourself when you’re absolutely exhausted. With ten different strategies to get yourself moving and links to additional articles supporting these strategies, ranging from ‘just get started’ to ‘talk to a coworker’, it’s a great starting point for finding your motivation. 

If it doesn’t seem to be working, though, it’s important to remember that burnout is a very real thing, and it’s crucial to dedicate specific time to ‘time off.’  The Creative Review posted recently that creative brains need the time and space to process the ideas and stimulation generated throughout the workday. Silence and reflection are key components to a healthy balance in life, so be sure to encourage a healthy work-life balance in addition to true breaks from the ‘connectivity’ that social media and technology provide.

Once we’re recharged, how can we feel less stressed and less exhausted in the future? One tangible way is to become more organized. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s blog Vitae recently posted that organization is a skill, not a trait, and is made up of a variety of other skills, such as identifying priorities, breaking down large goals into specific tasks, and effective communication. These skills can be learned, and providing yourself as well as your staff with training on time-management and other related topics can help with stress levels.

In fact, promoting learning within your workplace culture helps give workers all sorts of tools for success.  In a recent post on SHIFT’s eLearning Blog, Karla Gutierrez writes about the benefits of creating a learning-centered work culture and gives you four tangible low-cost actions your group can take, modeled after one of the current greats: Google.  Get information to stick and be useful to your employees, create an environment where employees feel safe to talk about their ideas and ask questions, and promote continuous learning. My personal favorite, though, is learning from celebrated failure. Having the freedom to fail also gives you the power to learn from your mistakes, and as a result is integral to any successful team culture. In my opinion, the freedom to fail is especially important in environments going through major changes, like many libraries these days.

In the spirit of continuous learning and training, the eLearning Industry’s blog recently featured an article showing how training supports organizational change and is an essential part of the change management process. Librarians are implementing and responding to changes in our strategies, structures and systems, and our organizational culture has to respond accordingly. Training can serve as a piece of the puzzle that helps guide your employees through the change journey, increasing your rate of success, encouraging belonging in your staff, and promoting employee engagement – all of which are powerful wins for your team and your organization as a whole.

Meeting User Needs with Cataloger's Desktop

 Bruce Johnson, Derek Rodriguez, Susanne Ross
ONLINE SEARCHER, v. 40 no. 2, March/April 2016

As part of its mission to provide services to the global library community, LC information professionals developed Cataloger’s Desktop (“Desktop”), a searchable cataloging, metadata, and library automation documentation system consisting of 300-plus resources (loc.gov/cds/desktop).

Librarians use Desktop in their daily work to find the instructions they need to create metadata to bibliographically control library resources. More than 10,000 librarians at approximately 1,000 subscribing institutions use it. Since its initial release in 1994, Desktop has evolved into a widely used and authoritative web-based service that allows professional catalogers to work more efficiently with the most up-to-date, authoritative cataloging information at their fingertips.

This article provides an overview of how the product has developed over the years.