EMuOnline Data SourcesBrad Lickman
For Taxonomy and Geolocation (and Vocabulary Control)
Basically, any data discoverable via the Internet.
For example:• UNdata – 60 million data sets showing
economic development country by country• National Statistical Agencies – Demographic
information• Online museum collections searches
Essentially, these are web interfaces that allow searching on various data sets.
Online Data Sources
Museum specific data sources exist, and are available online:
• Taxonomy • Integrated Taxonomic Information System• World Register of Marine Species• Catalogue of life
• Geolocation• Google Maps• GeoNames• GEOLocate
• Vocabulary Control• Getty vocabularies (AAT, ULAN, TGN, CONA)
Applicable Online Data Sources
These various resources are helpful to expand our research and cataloguing data and knowledge, validate and verify our data, and to establish standards by which we record these data.
Applicable Online Data Sources
Manually…somewhat?
Typically, a snapshot of the data source is loaded onto the EMu server.
How do we use these in EMu?
• KE can load various thesauri into the Thesaurus module
Load a snapshot of data.
• KE can load various thesauri into the Thesaurus module
Load a snapshot of data.
• KE can load the ITIS dataset into the Taxonomy module
Load a snapshot of data.
• KE could load the Gazetteer module with…something.• I’m not aware of this happening very
frequently.• Does anyone even use the Gazetteer
module?
Load a snapshot of data.
Problems:
• Scripts to load the data must be maintained and updated as new data sets are released.
• Just a snapshot.• How do we get updates?• How do we know if our snapshot is out of
date?• Time consuming process to re-load the
entire data set.• What happens to records that reference old
terms/names?• No one uses the Gazetteer module?
Load a snapshot of data.
EMu 3.1.01
Resources Tool
The most common use of Resources is to extract data from the current record, insert it into a formatted url and launch a browser.
Resources Tool - ULAN
Resources Tool - ITIS
Resources Tool – Google Maps
Resources Tool – Georeferencing
A step in the right direction.
We can now take advantage of online data sets using a more stream-lined method.
Integration achieved by populating URLs with record terms.
Resources Tool.
No two-way communication – bringing data from online data sources back into a record is done by hand (copy/paste at best).
Resources tool can be tricky to configure – not everyone has the resources to use Resources.
Resources Tool
By consulting online data sources, we can present results within the EMu client, pull selected data back, and use the results to enhance EMu records.
Use of Open Data
Example: GEOLocate• Web application• Batch processing (csv)• Web services (JSON, SOAP)
Use of Open Data
GEOLocate Web Application
Example: Getty Thesauri• Linked Open Data• URIs point to terms, concepts, relationship,
scope notes, etc.
Use of Open Data
Use of Open Data
Advantages:
• No more copy/paste – more seamless integration
• No configuration of EMu Registry to use Resources
• We can be notified of changes – the process of updating is easier
• Take advantage of collaborative work
Use of Open Data
Disadvantages:
• Connection to all online resources must be maintained in-house
• If connection protocols change, museums must keep up
Use of APIs
Possible solution:
• A KE server can manage all connections to various online data sources
• Client sites simply contact KE server with the same requests
Use of APIs
Use of APIs
Advantages:
• KE manages all connections. If/when the communication protocols changes, there is no impact on clients.
Use of APIs
Would the ability to seamlessly consult online data sources from within the EMu client improve how we use it? How?
Questions/discussion
Which online data sources are we interested in?
Questions/discussion
How do we want to use these data sources? ie. Should they be used as a reference, or be the ultimate authority?
Questions/discussion
Should updates be automatically trusted?
Questions/discussion
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