About the Workshop 

Libraries store vast amounts of data—such as catalogs, research publications, and operational records (e.g., circulation, and acquisition data). However, much of this data remains siloed, underutilized, and not machine-processable or interoperable, limiting its potential for automation, analysis, and integration.

In today's networked world, every stakeholder—whether patrons, funding agencies, publishers, or policymakers—operates in a connected environment. Libraries should no longer operate in isolation. To unlock the full value of their data, libraries must transform data into interconnected, machine-readable resources by adopting semantic technologies and the Linked Data approach.

To meet the increasing demand for interoperable, machine-readable data, the Documentation Research and Training Centre (DRTC) at the Indian Statistical Institute Bangalore is hosting a three-day workshop on Linked Open Data and Semantic Web technologies. This year’s theme, "Transforming Library Data into Global Knowledge," aims to empower library professionals, museum and archival experts, data scientists, and researchers with the necessary skills to make data accessible in a digitally connected environment. The program blends theoretical insights with hands-on/ demonstration sessions on semantic tools (e.g., data modeling software, graph databases) and technologies (e.g., RDF, OWL, SPARQL, Linked Data), enabling participants to create linked data and build knowledge graphs that facilitate global search and support automatic processing, reasoning, and analysis. 

Who Should Attend and Why? 

This workshop is primarily designed for library professionals (including museum and archival professionals), data scientists, data practitioners, knowledge workers, and researchers, but is open to participants from all disciplines, including those from academia and industry. While focusing on library-specific use cases and datasets, it will also explore applications in fields such as academics & research, health, and medicine. The workshop aims to help participants break down data silos, improve data accessibility, and transform information into interconnected resources. Its objectives include raising awareness of relevant technologies, enhancing resource management, improving service delivery, streamlining report generation, and supporting informed decision-making. Ultimately, the workshop strives to build a skilled workforce through intensive training. 

NOTE - It is expected that the participants will have basic knowledge of the following:

1. HTML
2. Spreadsheet
3. XML (will be a plus) 

To ensure a smooth and interactive experience during the workshop, we kindly request that all participants bring their own laptops.

Topics

• Vocabulary: Taxonomy, Metadata, Ontology
• Linked Data (LD)
• Knowledge Graph (KG)
• Data Integration
• Data Visualization
• Semantic Technology (e.g., RDF, RDFS, OWL, SPARQL)
• Software Tools (e.g., ontology modelling and editing tool, LD generation, data integration, graph database, data visualization)
• LD and KG Applications 
• Repository services
• Data Carpentry 
• Use Cases