Curious about what this "linked data" stuff is and what it has to do with your bibliographic records? Linked open data has become quite the hot-button topic in metadata and cataloging circles in recent years, but discussion has focused heavily on the high-level, conceptual and theoretical applications. So, what does linked data mean in practice? For decades, bibliographic description has been thought of in terms of records: immutable, monolithic documents which reflect and stand in place of the physical items-in-hand. In this introduction to linked data, we will explore a reframing of bibliographic descriptions as organic, multifaceted collections of descriptive statements which can be molded to suit the needs of a specific user community. This session seeks to provide a low-entry, practice-based introduction to linked data as it applies to the descriptive work of catalogers and metadata librarians.
