VIAF (Virtual International Authority File) Building Blocks for the Future: Making Controlled Vocabularies Available for the Semantic Web Dr. Barbara B. Tillett Chief, Policy & Standards Division Library of Congress For BNE April 28, 2010
Linked Data National Library of Sweden DBpedia 2
Internet “Cloud” Databases, Repositories Web front end Services 3
Internet “Cloud” Web front end Services VIAF Databases, Repositories LCSH 4
VIAF Objectives Facilitate exposure of authority data Reduce cataloging costs Simplify authority control (creation and maintenance) internationally Provide authority data in form, language, and script users want 5
VIAF Чехов Chekhov 6
Universal Bibliographic Control IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) in the 1970’s Single heading for each person, corporate body, etc. Ignored user needs for language/script they could read
VIAF: The Virtual International Authority File Original VIAF partners Library of Congress (LC) Library of Congress Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (DNB) Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) Bibliothèque nationale de France OCLC - host Virtually combining the name authority files of all institutions into a single name authority service. 7
Virtual International Authority File Matches names across 20 authority files of 16 institutions 13 million name records 10 million personas 4.5 million clusters Based on KSY Cooperative Identities Hub, CEAL
Current Status Available as linked data with URIs Unicode throughout UNIMARC and MARC 21 supported Preliminary work on geographic names 9
Enhancing the Authorities Bibliographic Record Derived Authority Record Enhanced Authority 10
Mining the Bibliographic Record LDR 00638ncm a a s1965 oruuua n eng 10 $a $a DLC $c DLC 019 $a $c $ $a $b Matrix Publ. Co $b d $b d $b va01 $b ve01 $a ka $a M1258 $b.L $a Leigh, Mitch, $d $a The man of La Mancha / $c by Mitch Leigh & Joe Darion; arr. By Roland Barrett & Alan Keown. 260 $a Springfield, OR : $b Matrix Publ. Co., $c c $a 1 score (16 p.) ; $c 18 x 27 cm. 500 $a Brief record $a Musicals $x Excerpts $a Leigh, Mitch $v Musical settings $a Darion, Joe. Authors LC Control Number LC Classification Title Material Type Publisher Place of Publication Language Date of Publication Usage 11
Derived Authority Record 00505cz a n xlc OCoLC n|acannaab|n aaa c $a OCoLC $b eng $c OCoLC $f viaf $a Leigh, Mitch $a $a the man of la mancha $a matrix publ co $a oru $a mitch leigh $a eng $a $a 196x $a cm $a darian, joe $d All text is normalized Subjects are grouped into broad subject areas Material type is codedPublication date is by decadeCoauthor 12
Enhanced Authority Record 00505cz a n oca n| acannaab| |n aaa ||| 3 10 $a n $a DLC $c DLC $d DLC $a Leigh, Mitch, $d $a the man of la mancha, c1966: $b t.p. (Mitch Leigh) $a $ $a $ $a impossible dream $ $a century library of music and sound by mitch leigh $ $a matrix publ co $ $a kapp $ $a oru $ $a mitch leigh $ $a eng $ $a 234 $ $a 196x $ $a 197x $ $a cm $ $a darian, joe $d $ $a wasserman, dale $9 1 13
Information in Bibliographic Records He writes music His primary subject area is music He was published in the 1960s and 1970s by Matrix Publ. Co. in Oregon and Kapp in New York Worked with Joe Darion and Dale Wasserman Mitch Leigh is the only name he has used on his publications Etc. 14
viaf.org 15
As viewed April
17 Cervantes
18 Cervantes
19 Cervantes
20 Cervantes
21 Cervantes
MARC Cervantes
VIAF and Catalogers Use as a reference tool: To resolve conflicts, questionable dates, forms of name, etc. Cite as source in 670 $a, for example: BNF in VIAF, date searched BNE in VIAF, date searched Nat. Lib. of Australia in VIAF, date searched LAC in VIAF, date searched 23
Next steps for VIAF Better searching More “Linked data” Related persons as in WorldCat Identities, Wikipedia, etc. Participants beyond libraries Rights management agencies, Publishers Museums, Archives More name types Corporate and Family names Uniform titles Geographic names … not topical terms 24
25