From authority data, to linked open data and Wikidata: The case study of a Hebrew manuscript catalogue

Traditionally, library catalogues have served as a tool to manage library collections and as a bibliographic tool for information retrieval. Eventually this caused library catalogues to be data silos. In order to break down these metadata silos, the information must be accessible and free to use. The semantic web, and in particular, linked open data, are initiatives that can turn library catalogs into a real part of the Internet. Today libraries are an important player in the linked data arena. Converting catalogues to large linked data enables large-scale analysis of cultural heritage Big Data. By implementing linked data initiatives open library data is available for reuse in the information space. Libraries can share their open metadata with non-library communities. Wikidata is a collaboratively edited knowledge base hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. It is one central database of human knowledge which contains structured and linked data. If more collections will be added to this huge linked open network it will enable researchers to investigate and find new discoveries thereby revitalizing our cultural heritage data, which has been persevered in closed silos for hundreds of years. The potential in Wikidata for the information world in general and for libraries in particular is illustrated by research done on the National Library of Israel Hebrew manuscripts catalogue