- For the past few years, Linked Data has been a buzzword at many of the major library conferences around the world. Linked Data has been the subject of paper presentations, panel discussions and project reports at conferences such as ALA, DCMI and ASIS&T. The themes of these talks vary. Sometimes the discussion revolves around the importance of Linked Data for libraries and how the transition to Linked Data will finally help facilitate the long overdue retirement of the now 40+ year old MARC Standard. Other times the discussion is more nuanced, focusing on the usefulness of Linked Data to better publish and share library data online and with the wider world. While the response to the more evangelical messaging has been mixed, one issue has been made clear, both by supporters and skeptics of Linked Data: we, as an industry, need to update and change our technical and functional infrastructure to allow for the integration and proliferation of Linked Data.
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