The growing importance of the Semantic Web to the library and information profession is widely recognised, although the finer details of exactly how traditional library services should integrate with the Semantic Web are generally less well understood. Bibliographic Information Organization in the Semantic Web explains the importance of the Semantic Web for the sharing of bibliographic information, as well as detailing many of the underlying technologies and standards.
The work consists of five main chapters which provide the reader with a broad overview of bibliographic information organisation, the Semantic Web and integration of the two. Chapter 1 provides a history of bibliographic information organisation and the idea of Universal Bibliographic Control. Chapter 2 provides an introduction to the Semantic Web and its terminology in the context of bibliographic data. Chapter 3 explores the development of bibliographic vocabularies and element sets in recent years. Chapter 4 discusses the publishing of library data sets as linked data, and the final chapter reiterates the “linked” nature of the data and the importance of the library and information community working alongside others in the cultural heritage sector.
Understanding the integration of the Semantic Web with traditional library and information services is an increasingly important topic to the library community. There are, however, two significant difficulties that any introduction to the topic must overcome: the rapidly changing nature of the topic, and the large number of standards and models that are involved (as well as their associated acronyms). Willer and Dunshire manage to introduce a complex subject in an accessible format by focusing on one specific area and emphasising its continuity with traditional bibliographic practices. However, as time passes, such a book inevitably dates quickly as new models and standards continue to emerge. For example, there is no mention of the recent, and important, Bibliographic Framework Initiative (BIBFRAME) from the Library of Congress. While technological progress cannot be halted for the publishing of a book, other potential criticisms might have been more readily addressed. The book would undoubtedly have benefited from a more heavy-handed editor: some of the (many) figures are too small to add value to the work; the prose is quite rambling in places; and the large quotes from other works do not help to create an engaging, free-flowing work.
Nevertheless, despite such criticisms the work undoubtedly fills a gap in the market. The Semantic Web and sharing of bibliographic information is a field requiring much greater understanding within the library and information community, and to which knowledgeable information professionals should be contributing more than at present. The insights provided by the expert authors in this volume are both valuable and interesting.
