Free Your Metadata/Google Refine

I just found out about the fabulous Free Your Metadata project this week, and am very excited to see these kinds of actionable workshops popping up around the world–and big ups to these guys for developing screencasts that show how people can use free and open source tools to create Linked Data from library, archive and museum metadata now!

Seb Chan posted an interview with Seth van Hooland with the catchy title: Things clever people do with your data #65535: Introducing ‘Free Your Metadata’ which is well worth a read.

Intro to LODLAM talk: Live from the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institution hosted a day of LODLAM on September 16, 2011, including the presentation, An Introduction to Linked Open Data in Libraries, Archives & Museums. The talk was webcast live and archived thanks to the generous support of the Smithsonian CTO Series. I’d also like to thank Effie Kapsalis for her amazing organizing efforts around the events, the many staff at the Smithsonian who helped make this a reality, and a great group of participants.

Below are the slides. Both the video presentation and the slides are available as CC BY for you to use as you see fit.

LODLAM-NZ

Breakout board from LODLAM Summit San Francisco, June 2. courtesy Martin Kalfatovic

I’m very excited to announce LODLAM-NZ, Thursday Dec. 1, in Wellington, NZ.

This event is being hosted by DigitalNZ, with the support of this year’s New Zealand National Digital Forum.  I’ll be there, together with several other delegates from various global LODLAM meetings and we’re very excited to continue expanding the conversations that are happening around the world, and learn from the many amazing initiatives coming out of New Zealand.

From the registration site (register now, only 50 total spots available!), thanks to Andy Neale:

LODLAM is an initiative that explores Linked Open Data in Libraries, Archives, Museums (LODLAM) and the cultural sector in general. This LODLAM-NZ event builds upon the findings and sessions of the International LODLAM Summit in San Francisco, held earlier in the year. It is an event that is suitable for both practitioners, and people interested in learning more.

We are also excited to announce that Jon Voss, who organised the first LODLAM event in San Francisco, is planning to attend with other founding participants.

This event is free, but spaces are limited to 50 particpants, so please register your interest. LODLAM-NZ is being hosted by DigitalNZ, and is being held the day after this year’s National Digital Forum with their support.

What is happening on the day?

This one day working meeting will kick off with an introduction on open linked data by Jon Voss.

Sessions will then move to a barcamp style, created by participants, including local and international leaders in the field. The types of sessions might include: clinic on open data licensing; tools for publishing and utilising linked open data; vocabularies; exploring use cases; tools for encouraging in your organisations.

LODLAM-LON

Shawn Simister at LODLAM Summit June 2.

From the fabulous Mia Ridge, who is organizing this event, hosted by Open Knowledge Foundation:

Open data in cultural heritage (LODLAM-London) 6 Oct. 2011.

Register now: http://lodlamlon11.eventbrite.com/

What?

A meetup for people interested in the applications of linked and open
data for cultural heritage.

Building on earlier ‘linking museums‘ and London #OpenData
(#opendataLDN) meetups, this event is an opportunity to think more
widely about Linked Open Data in Libraries Archives and Museums
(LODLAM) and bring together a wider community of people interested in
open data. It will focus on the success stories for open data in
cultural heritage (with a nod to the barriers to publishing usable
open data).

We’ll have some interesting speakers with short talks on their work
with open data in cultural heritage, including Paul Rowe, Joint CEO at
Vernon Systems in New Zealand, and potentially Leif Isaksen, who could
share his experiences with the Google Ancient Places (GAP) and
PELAGIOS projects.

We’ll also have small discussion sessions to think creatively about
how we can overcome the barriers. We want to gather together success
stories for open data projects, and address the issues that limit the
publication of open data in cultural institutions.

Who?

You! If you’re interested in using or publishing open cultural data
and want to help getting better data out there for people to use… Or
if you work with a cultural institution and are curious to know why
people care so much, have experience to share, or want to know how
open data might help your organisation, we’d love you to come along to
find out more.

Where?

Thanks to the Open Knowledge Foundation we have a great space at the
Centre for Creative Collaboration (#c4cc), 16 Acton Street, London,
WC1X 9NG [map and directions].

When?

Thursday, October 06, 2011 from 19:00 to 21:00 (GMT)

http://lodlamlon11.eventbrite.com/