Interlinked authority data in a globalized cataloguing environment

Abstract

The realization of Linked Open Data vision demands extrovert behaviour from the side of libraries engendering a leakage to their data silos. This openness should be accompanied with the establishment of common contact points, escaping from the “Tower of Babel” of the web. With the aspiration to introduce itself in the linked data environment and to make an initial step towards the communication between Greek academic libraries, Panteion University Library has developed POLAriS (Panteion Open Linked AuthoRItieS), which is a web’ification of Subject Headings of Panteion Library, focusing on Social Sciences, linking to LSCH (http://library.panteion.gr/polaris/).

Subject indexing is a time consuming process which indicates an imperative need for an efficient tool among cataloguers’ community, assisting their daily tasks. The proposed Web based application facilitates library’s personnel to detect any equivalencies between two authority files and untwine any disambiguation. POLAriS is a step forward to the enhancement of the uniformity of subject indexing among Greek cataloguers regarding the subject headings of social sciences. Cataloguers’ work is simplified through the visualization that offers a topic map. Acting as a Cataloguing Support Tool emphases on the visual browsing of authorities, aiming at librarians’ consistency, efficiency and productivity. POLAriS data have been integrated as a tool to our repository as a subject recommendation system for the dissertation submission. POLAriS usage will intensify the consistency of our subject indexing behaviour adding value to library resources and increasing the effectiveness of our work.

POLAriS is based on a bidirectional relationship with the user. On one hand, users can consult it regarding to authorities interconnections and their full UNIMARC records, having at the same time useful manuals on the same screen for simplifying the process of subject indexing. On the other hand, POLAriS empowers users to make suggestions on the terminology used for Subject Heading of the selected record and edit it according to his needs. Functionalities like downloading and printing are embedded in the application. Furthermore, POLAriS is bridging bridges library’s resources under a single platform. Each user can access repository’s (http://pandemos.panteion.gr/) and OPAC’s (http://library.panteion.gr/opacial/) records browsing POLAriS data.

Our belief is that the provision of Subject Headings on the web will give us the opportunity to prove the richness and validity of Panteion Library’s authority data. At the same time, we hope that the publicity of such projects will sensitize the community of Greek academic libraries towards cooperation. An additional paper’s aim is to contribute to the discussion on open bibliographic data and Linked Open Data in the area of academic libraries. Conclusions, regarding the problems encountered, will benefit librarians revealing new ways for further exploitation of current infrastructure.