I’ve mentioned a few initiatives and projects related to the development of Web 3.0/Semantic Web on this blog where librarians are, or could be, involved. But the big question is, how? Finding out how to get a seat at the table can sometimes be difficult. Here’s a few ways to get involved no matter your level of expertise or location:
Data Portability: Get Involved
From mailing lists to action groups, the Data Portability Project has a number of ways that you can keep up to date with news, share advice and ideas, and participate in high-level technical discussions about the project.
FOAF Developer Center
Participate on the wiki, mailing list or the busy IRC channels for the Friend of a Friend (FOAF) specification project.
Sign up to the announcements email list, or give your time to volunteering to one of OKF’s many interesting projects.
Linking Open Data Community Project
Mailing lists, meetings, projects, and lists of people interested in Open Data.
Upgrade your sites
Help spread the use of microformats, OpenID, RDF and other new standards and formats by including them in your plans to upgrade your website. The websites mentioned all have guides to getting started. For example, Microformats outlines a five-minute guide to adding your first microformat on your site. Keep an eye on DiSo (Distributed Social Networking applications), which is building plugins using these tools and others for Wordpress, Drupal, and other widely used platforms. There’s some work for me to do in adding to this website!
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May 22nd, 2008 at 1:22 am
I’d also add, become a metadata advocate for your community. Get the schedule for the little league in iCal (or better yet hCal) format. Help the bird watchers geocode their siteings. Show COinS to the faculity posting links to thier books. Even show ATOM and RSS to groups with newsletters. Explain the benefits and show the process and tools to groups in the commuity. Then make the library the go-to place for information management. Catalogers will have to become outreach metadata consultants. I heard this on a recent podcast by John Udell and a light went on.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:53 am
Great posting Fiona. Thank you for this. I think it’s important for librarians to get up to speed on the SemWeb. These are good first steps.
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Those are great suggestions David! I’ll have to check out that podcast, I like the idea of cataloguers doing outreach.
Thanks Allan!