 Okay, hi everyone. Thank you so much for joining me in this section. I hope we are having a sighting time at the Singapore National Library. We are quickly going to look at connecting library metadata to WikiData, a semantic web approach to information discovery. My name is Omar Odeon, Okuangai. I'm currently the head of eLibrary Services at Glorious Visual University in Nigeria, West Africa. It's my honour to be doing this short, to give this short talk, which will be followed by a practice section, which will be handled by, like, my links to other librarians on ground, through. And I'm sure we're going to have an exciting time together. So, we're talking about connecting library metadata to WikiData. But why do we need to start thinking about this? Now, this topic was born out of the current problems that are associated with library metadata in our current dispensation. We know that technology has helped improve library metadata, and we now have different cataloging systems and different OPAC system, online public access catalog, that allows for the sharing of library graphic records, otherwise known as library metadata. Now, what the challenge with existing technologies is that these technologies are oftentimes domiciled in each institution. So what it does is that it makes each institution having their own records. There is no aspect of interconnectedness among different records, different knowledge. And also, not to mention the fact that there is limited visibility to these records. And oftentimes, you find that these records are only domiciled within the institutions and linked to the institution website. So it creates a kind of unlimited visibility, which in turn also affects accessibility to these graphic records that could impact the use of information resources in the library. And that's why this session is, it was conceived to discuss wiki data as a technology that could be leveraged on by libraries to help improve the discoverability of library materials, and also the interconnection of libraries and institutions together. And it's important we have a brief understanding of what exactly is wiki data and how does it fit in library into the dispensation wiki data as as commonly defined is a free multilingual knowledge base of linked open data that can be edited by new months or machines alike. The, the technology is, is seen as a knowledge base of linked data. It contains treasured data with entities and with entities about people, places, institutions, organizations and so on and so forth. So it's a powerful tool for improving accessibility to information. And it was also conceived, it was launched in 2012. It's because of the linked nature of wiki data, it is considered a semantic web technology, and it allows for use of structural data in a linked environment. So what exactly does wiki data fit into libraries in, in our current discussion, how does it fit wiki data as a technology often time can be used as a hub for library data. And we found that libraries can actually contribute to their own graphic data onto wiki data as a way of creating access to this to their records. And this often time will be more will be very useful to libraries with less technological infrastructure and less technical support to create their own. Open catalog system to enhance and discover. I think libraries, especially in different regions from developing regions to develop regions, we find this technology very useful as a whole. Then there's also the advantage of linking of collections together, as well as demographic records in an ever expanding world with wiki data libraries and librarians can help link their collections together. And by sharing relationships between one collection and the other, for example, collections by the same auto resources published or also by particular auto can be linked together. Then also, it can be linked with other institutions, other libraries using a center identifiers. Then there's also the, the fact that wiki data curriculum for enriched demographic data. And this could be taken, for example, in our regular catalog system, we create information for, let's say, the name of an author, the title of a walk, the place of publication, the year of publication, and so on and so forth. Let's see, what if instead of just having the name of an author, we can have more information about the author, for example, like where the author schools, other publications that he has, and other libraries, for example, that has content about an author and things like that. And this can be made possible with the use of wiki data because you can help to show this link, this relationship and connect one entity with another entity. So this is a huge advantage that wiki data have, and it has the capability and potential to create a giant open knowledge ecosystem that could help improve scholarship and research across the world. And that's why libraries must begin to embrace wiki data, not as a replacement to existing cataloging systems or information retrieval systems, but as an addition to it as a way of creating a new level of openness to its collections. And then there's also the advantage of using the query service in wiki data, such as the wiki data spark query service, to help analyze library graphic data and create visual image that could be used to make informed decision. So these are other advantages that libraries could gain by using wiki data and connecting their meta data into wiki data, so as to help improve overall service delivery in the libraries. And there's also the issue of linked access to edited the graphic data of people involved in the work, which is what I've explained has continued more information about the authors of a work. So but when we talk about wiki data, and the question that often comes to mind is what makes wiki data stable for library metadata. We've already highlighted the importance of wiki data being the fact that it creates a better visibility for library graphic records such that instead of the graphic record being domiciled in only one cataloging system, it can be visible, it can be seen from people from different parts of the world. And let's say, for example, my library, Glorious Vision Investing Library, we have our own cataloging, our online management systems that allows us to, to catalog and share our graphic records with our users. But what if we can add our cataloging information to wiki data? It means that people beyond our immediate environment can have access to it. So it means for people in Singapore, for example, can access the records, people in the United States in Europe can access the records and so on and so forth. So this ultimately helps to improve the discoverability of library resources and creates a better learning environment for not only readers but also researchers and information seekers in general. And then there is also the ultimate advantage of interoperability between libraries, especially by libraries can actually foster collaboration and cooperation by collectively contributing graphic records to wiki data. Now there's a project we are currently working on in Nigeria, which is a recording pilot in wiki based in wiki based in Nigeria libraries. And we are currently exploring how we can actually use wiki based technology, which is a software that powers wiki data, where exploring how we can use it to create a unique catalog for different libraries in Nigeria. We will talk more on that later on because of this presentation. But the goal is that with wiki data technology, we can actually foster cooperative cataloging among libraries and libraries could engage in cooperation and updates their records together. What this can do is that it will help improve the standardization of bibliographic materials and help create better more quality metadata for libraries and also help libraries that are not having enough skilled mapper to create their own bibliographic records or metadata by themselves. So we can actually work with existing metadata. So all this helps to make the library create a better learning environment for not just the libraries but also for the librarians themselves. And there's also the advantage the fact that wiki data is highly visible, is highly visible, very visible, and it's connected to Google and other AI agents that help in the area of search and retrieval of information from the library. Not to mention the aspect of querying and analyzing data from the library. So this is an image that was uploaded by GCNLWU. It's a pennant manuscript. It's a visualization of the pennant manuscript that has been uploaded into wiki data by the National Library of Wales. And that is a notable example of a library that has actually contributed thousands of material and graphic records to wiki data. And these records includes books, manuscripts, maps, and other kinds of information resources. And it shows the interconnection, the links between different resources. So what this can do is that with wiki data we can create visual images of library collections. We can create timelines, create different, we can work around our data and play around it to create different, different image or different data that could help make informed decision. So the advantages of wiki data are enormous, but having known this, how can we now contribute our contents to wiki data. Now we're going to have a short practical session after this brief talk, which is going to be handled by librarians on ground to be led by Peru. So, but it's important to know that part of the ways we can actually contribute our, connect our library metadata to wiki data is by, we can do that by manually adding wiki data items, creating wiki data items for our library collections. And there we can add different statements. For example, you want to create a wiki data item for a book titled things fall apart by Chinua Achibi. You, you can get to write the name of the author, the title of the work, the place of publication, the year of publication, then this can also be linked to Chinua Achibi as a person. So you can see that the link, it brings, it links different entities together, both persons and organizations and things like that. Then there's also the option of batch uploading of batch uploading of records, graphic records, using quick statements, which is actually allowed within the wiki data environment. So one can actually upload large amounts of the graphic record at once after the records are being cleaned and ensure that they follow the same data type and consistency. One can upload it, but it is advantage this has over the manually created wiki data item is that the librarian may not have so much 100% control over the data that has been uploaded. There may be some inconsistency among the records, but with the manual style you get, you have ultimate control over what you want to add, the kind of statements you want to add. So, we're not just speaking jargon, we're not just speaking abstract things. Different libraries across the world have actually embraced wiki data and have actually contributed their library demographic data to wiki data in order to create and improve global knowledge base. And the goal is that after this presentation, more libraries will embrace wiki data and actually contribute their demographic records to wiki data in order to create a more improved scholarly ecosystem. So there are multiple examples of libraries all over the world that are that have embraced wiki data, and I've contributed parts of their records of mapping data to wiki data. Of course, one of them is the Library of Congress, which has actually led the way in contributing. There's also metadata to wiki data and that they've done for since 2015. And there's also the Tether States universities. These are just few examples of course many other institutions, libraries, other GLAM institutions have also contributed, library methods have also contributed their own demographic records to wiki data. And these are just few examples. So in the course of this presentation, we're going to look at three case studies of three case study of libraries that are actually contributed parts of their demographic records or metadata to wiki data. We have one of the case study I noted here is the London School of Economics Library, which has actually connected over 2,000 records of their library metadata to wiki data. And the goal of this is to improve the discoverability of their materials. And they have also linked these records to other standard identifiers to help improve the visibility of the records. One case study here is that of the University of Texas Libraries. The University of Texas Libraries have created over 1,000 items for each person Latin American collection on wiki data using a tool called the Mix and Mash. And that matches Estana catalogs with wiki data. So ultimately, seven libraries have contributed demographic records to wiki data and more are still encouraged to do so. The third case study here is that of the National Library of Wales that has linked over 100,000 items to wiki data so as to help in not just creating visibility but also in the aspect of querying the data to create a visual images that could be used for planning and decision making. Ultimately, part of the collections that have been added by the National Library of Wales to wiki data includes information about books, newspapers, journals, maps, manuscripts, amongst others. Well, aside from wiki data, they are also the similar technology which is wiki based with multiple examples being the German National Library and the French National Library. They are also exploring wiki based as a linked data tool to help improve visibility and interconnectivity of library collisions. So coming back to Africa, there's also the example of the BAM library from the University of Ghana where they've also contributed parts of their library records to wiki data. So aside from connecting records to wiki data, I also want to just quickly bring to our attention the news of the pilot project on wiki based that is currently being piloted in Nigerian libraries. So we have a team of librarians in Nigeria be supported by the wiki media Dutch land. So pilot wiki based, which is a software that powers wiki data in Nigerian libraries and the goal of this is to help create a union catalog or an interconnected catalog for Nigerian libraries whereby we can actually link the records from one Nigerian library to another Nigerian libraries. So part of the goal for the pilot wiki based project in Nigerian libraries is to support Nigerian librarians to create their own wiki based or cloud user accounts. And you know that wiki based or cloud is a software as a service platform that is allows users to have to set up their own wiki based instances. So the goal is for librarians to set up different wiki based instances for their libraries and or populates those wiki based instances with their graphic records and connect them with other levels for improved discovery ability and visibility. Then there's also, of course, linking of the graphic records among the selected libraries that have been piloted, then also training of at least 13 Nigerian librarians to work in the linked data in a wiki data and wiki based environments. So using wiki data or wiki based is not just all simple. There are also challenges that we have to consider if we are to fully adopt wiki based in libraries, if we have to fully connect our resources to libraries. But there are not, there are certain challenges that we have to look at, look, watch out for before we engage in connecting our metadata to wiki data. And part of it is top on that list is the issue of sustainability. How sustainable is the practice beyond just connecting a batch records or a current records. So we hope to sustain the issue and this can be very challenging, especially since connecting library metadata to wiki data is more usually part of the workflow in many libraries. So this can become very problematic when there is no continuity or sustainability of the practice. And it can be difficult to update the records if this is not part of the library workflow. Then there's also the fact that it can be time consuming, working in wiki data environment can be time consuming, especially when, especially when one is not already familiar with the wiki data environment. That means one has to start learning new set of skills, how to use the wiki data query service amongst others. And of course, this knowledge are not taught in library schools so it requires more learning and more training on the part of the librarians. Then also, other multiple challenge is the fact that libraries may not really have total control over the knowledge that are shared, over the data that are shared on wiki data. And this is because wiki data is a collaborative platform that is being edited by people from different parts of the world. And it can cause a sense of concern to librarians when you may not have absolute control. So I think overall that the advantages of wiki data, advantages of wiki data, it supersets the challenges and one can always work around the challenges. So to conclude, wiki data is a powerful tool and all librarians, we encourage librarians, wiki medias and other open knowledge advocates to help connect libraries together by contributing more library data, library data to wiki data. As this will help to create more connectivity among libraries among institutions and also create more a rich, a rich knowledge base of linked data, which ultimately will help improve scholarship and improve an open knowledge ecosystem for an open scholarly ecosystem for society. So we know that the future is foundation is to bring, the future goal is to bring libraries together, bring a knowledge house together and wiki data can help achieve that. So the call for action for all of us is to sit back and think, just give yourself some time to think, what can I do to improve accessibility to library records? And how can I as an individual as a librarian help my library to be more visible? And what actions do I need to take? Those are questions I want us to ponder on even as we go into the practical session with my colleagues on ground. So I'm going to stop here. And I want to thank you all for listening to this talk. Yeah, also some useful link. I'll drop the link to these slides so you can also have access to it. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to write to me. I'll be more than happy to respond. So I'm open to, of course, more interactions about this more engagement about this and of course more collaboration. Thank you so much. And do have a lovely time. Thank you.