Share Family - Linked Data Ecosystem for Libraries

The Share Family Bulletin provides the highlights of the recent achievements and the shared vision of the Share Family community. The latest issue, Bulletin 10 (April 2025), is available at: https://wiki.share-vde.org/wiki/ShareFamily:NewsAndUpdates with alternative access to the PDF version: https://bit.ly/SFBulletin_n10_Apr2025. This issue highlights the improvements of version 3 and the developments of the LOD Platform, including the evolution of the entity model supporting the mature Share infrastructure, the advancements in JCricket Entity Editor and the integration with third parties systems. Much has also been done in the Community work area, where Share Family staff and members are committed to nurturing the liaisons with the library information experts and linked data and BIBFRAME communities. Check out the recent news about the liaison protocol established with the RDA Steering Committee and the publication of the new Open Metadata Policy. Looking ahead to the next events, there will be the chance to meet at many conferences and meetings, including ALA Annual Conference 2025 where the Share Family Workshop will be held on Monday June 30th (a full announcement will be shared as soon as more details for participation are available). Other important past and future events are listed and will be shared on https://www.share-family.org/en/events. Among the informative resources, check out the Share Family’s series of informative videos about the “Share Family: Linked Data for Libraries, by Libraries”, addressing the vision and core concepts of the initiative:

• COOPERATIVE
• SUSTAINABLE
• OPEN
• INCLUSIVE
• DYNAMIC

Subscribe to the Share Family YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@Share_Family to keep up to date with our presentations and events, access informative materials and more! 

We are very happy to announce that a liaison protocol has been signed to establish the relationship at the strategic level between the Share Family Advisory Council and the RSC - RDA Steering Committee. 
The protocol has been published on different sources:
- on RDA Chair Documents page: https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/chair-documents;
- in RDA protocols and liaisons page: https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/RSCprotocols;
- as a RDA news item: https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/ShareFamilyProtocol.
This step is considered particularly fruitful also in consideration of the activities that libraires from different countries and continents are bringing forward in the Share Family Working Groups with the scope of enhancing the practical implementations and the concrete interoperability of the emerging bibliographic ecosystem based on linked open data.

The Share Family Open Metadata Policy has been approved by the Share Family Advisory Council on April 9th 2025. It outlines Share Family's support and commitment in open data to freely share information, and encourages open access to data produced by Share Family processes supporting the discovery of library and cultural heritage resources. The previous version of the policy was published in 2023.

The Share Family Bulletin provides the highlights of the recent achievements and the shared vision of the Share Family community. The latest issue, Bulletin 9 (July 2024), is available at: https://wiki.share-vde.org/wiki/ShareFamily:NewsAndUpdates with alternative access to the PDF version: https://bit.ly/SFBulletin_n9_Jul2024. This issue highlights the release of version 3 and the developments of the LOD Platform, showcasing the JCricket Entity Editor. Recounting the achievements and challenges within the Share Family initiative during this year, we are happy to share the materials from the Share Family Workshop that was held during ALA Conference 2024 in San Diego, including slides and recording. The Bulletin report serves as a comprehensive reflection on the accomplishments for the first half of 2024, as well as insights into what is to come the remaining months of year 2024. Among the latest resources, check out the Share Family’s brand new series of informative videos about the “Share Family: Linked Data for Libraries, by Libraries”, addressing the vision and core concepts of the initiative:

• COOPERATIVE
• SUSTAINABLE
• OPEN
• INCLUSIVE
• DYNAMIC

Subscribe to the Share Family YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@Share_Family to keep up to date with our presentations and events, access informative materials and more! Our deepest appreciation is to everyone for their relentless passion and dedicated efforts and resources towards the initiative. Stay connected for more updates and events soon!

We are delighted to participate as contributors at the Library of Congress BIBFRAME Update, due to take place at 1pm Eastern US time on Monday 1st July. Tiziana Possemato will discuss "Fostering BIBFRAME collaboration: interoperability and data curation with the Share Family". Share-VDE has been active with BIBFRAME since 2016. The several Share Family projects all maintain standardization of BIBFRAME linked data as defined by the Library of Congress and the presentation will emphasize how standard BIBFRAME is a key to our community’s integrated environments as systems proliferate, from both the interoperability and the data curation point of view. The session is available for viewing via this link from the LC BIBFRAME Homepage.

We are pleased to announce the Share Family Workshop that will be held on Monday, July 1st at 8.30am – 10am Pacific US Daylight Time | 5.30pm – 7pm Central European Summer Time, at ALA Conference 2024 in San Diego (Location: Marriott Marquis Hotel, Grand Ballroom Section 02). The meeting is free and open and will be held in hybrid format, both in person and online at this link. After the previous Share-VDE Workshop at ALA Conference 2023 in Chicago, this year's program includes: the evolution of JCricket Entity Editor as a working tool that has been released to members of the Share-VDE and Share Family initiatives for linked data editing and entity sharing; the progress of the SVDE Ontology, modelling the backbone of the LOD Platform data structure and enabling interoperability across linked data formats; opportunities for the integration of Share tools with external networks and ILSs / LSPs; the presentation of a new paradigm for publishing and consuming linked data in a distributed and scalable approach; the practical experience of adopting BIBFRAME for transitioning from original UNIMARC records to linked data descriptions. The event is also posted on ALA 2024 online programme. We look forward to meeting you in San Diego!

We are pleased to announce that the digital edition of the Parsifal proceedings is now available online. You can access it at: https://doi.org/10.36253/979-12-215-0356-2. This publication features papers presented at Parsifal: a model of library collaboration for sharing recorded knowledge, held at the Pontificia Università Urbaniana, Vatican City, on May 11th, 2023. The print edition is expected to be released later in May. For those interested in bibliographic references and collaborative resources, this material is also accessible on the Share Family wiki, at: https://wiki.share-vde.org/wiki/ShareFamily:Resources#Bibliographic_references. Highlighted articles:

- Parsifal: an innovative and powerful bibliographic research tool by Mauro Guerrini (in English)

- Parsifal: Harmonizing tradition with modernity. The shared Authority File of URBE as a new ground for collaboration by Tiziana Possemato, Annalisa Di Sabato, Alessandra Moi (in Italian)

- SHARE Catalogue’s new LOD Platform: an evolution marked by the collaborative practices of the Share Family by Claudio Forziati, Annalisa Di Sabato, Rossella Molisso, Chiara Mugnano (in Italian)

- History of the collaboration between Wikidata and URBE Network Libraries in Authority Control by Camillo Carlo Pellizzari di San Girolamo (in Italian)

- Parsifal’s web portal: structure and communication of bibliographic data and the Authority file by Stefano Bargioni, Giuseppina Manuli, Marcello Sardelli, Tiziana Selvaggio

This compilation of scholarly work highlights the global nature of our collaborative practices and the diverse perspectives contributing to the advancement of knowledge. Don't miss out on these insightful contributions to the academic community!

We are excited to share our recent participation in the Coalition for Networked Information's Project Briefing Series, where we presented insights from the Share Family initiative's ongoing efforts to advance linked open data and optimize library workflows and services.

Titled "The Share Family: Cooperation and Interconnection for a Sustainable Linked Open Data Ecosystem," our presentation provided an overview of the Share Family linked data ecosystem and its impact on library operations. From cooperative cataloging to advanced metadata management tools and discovery portals, we explored how these innovations are shaping the future of knowledge accessibility.

Make sure to access the recording and presentation slides here and on our wiki, where you can explore additional material about our initiative!

We are happy to share the announcement that the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Bibliography Section is holding a free webinar on Tuesday 30 April 2024 on the practicalities of building a national bibliography, exploring successful models from around the world.

The webinar entitled “Building a National Bibliograhy: Models From around the World” is the first in IFLA virtual event series “Topics in National Bibliographies” Track 1: Inside National Bibliographic Agencies. It aims at delving into the frameworks and foundations of establishing and operating a national bibliography, drawing inspiration from established and successful models around the world and permitting to navigate diverse landscapes and settings.

Info, programme and registration at this page.

Share Family unveils our Executive Summary for Consortia transition to linked open data, approved by our Advisory Council. The document emphasizes Share Family's pivotal role in aiding consortia in adopting linked data methodologies for enhanced collaboration. Share Family aims to empower consortia with the tools and knowledge necessary to seamlessly integrate linked open data principles, fostering innovation and interoperability within consortia networks. You can find the Executive Summary for Consortia here.