OCLC and Seven Libraries Launching Linked Data Pilot Program

From OCLC:

OCLC is working with seven leading libraries in a pilot program designed to learn more about how linked data will influence library workflows in the future.
The Person Entity Lookup pilot will help library professionals reduce redundant data by linking related sets of person identifiers and authorities. Pilot participants will be able to surface WorldCat Person entities, including 109 million brief descriptions of authors, directors, musicians and others that have been mined from WorldCat.
By submitting one of a number of identifiers, such as VIAF, ISNI and LCNAF, the pilot service will respond with a WorldCat Person identifier and mappings to additional identifiers for the same person.
The pilot will begin in September and is expected to last several months.
The seven participating libraries include:

• Cornell University
• Harvard University
• Library of Congress,
• National Library of Medicine
• National Library of Poland
• Stanford University
• University of California, Davis.

“This pilot will allow us to gain important feedback from key library partners so we can determine how services might be developed to meet library needs,” said Mary Sauer Games, OCLC Vice President, Product Management. ”This is an important step in our commitment to work with libraries to understand their workflow requirements as they begin to work with linked data.”

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