Synopticity and RDF Implementation in Special Collections

Abstract

RDF implementation and serialization is dependent on identifiers as its structural foundation. Using identifiers from established authority sources (ex. LC, VIAF) is a natural choice, particularly for items that align with traditional bibliographic features. Special collections present a unique situation for the role of identifiers. Since no authority source can really be considered exhaustive, it is necessary to seek out alternative or nontraditional sources to thoroughly populate possibilities for identifiers within a given record. Synopticity is the act of viewing a resource from different disciplinary perspectives to discover additional areas for linked data integration. The John Gould Ornithological Collection at the University of Kansas represents one such opportunity. Consisting of numerous monographs and several hundred lithographs depicting various birds and other instances of natural phenomenon, it provides synoptic integration for both bibliographic, historical, and biological identifiers. By including a diverse set of identifiers and relying on their connotative properties, potential for discovery in different contexts is enhanced in addition to the possibilities afforded by the ability to make assertions about the metadata when semantically structured.