Applying semantic technology to a digital library: a case study

To describe how semantic knowledge technology can be used to enhance a digital library.

The paper examines the main research challenges in the field of digital libraries and identifies the extent to which semantic knowledge technology can be used to respond to these challenges. Functionality developed within the SEKT project (http://sekt.semanticweb.org) is used to enhance an existing digital library. The development of a good ontology is central to such an application, and the paper describes the particular ontology engineering approach adopted.

Four broad challenges were identified: achieving interoperability; describing objects and repositories; managing multimedia collections; and improving user interfaces and human‐computer interaction. The SEKT digital library case study is using semantic knowledge technology to respond to the first two and the last of these. The paper describes how this is being done and the kind of enhanced functionality being developed.

The paper is of value in understanding how semantic knowledge technology can enhance information management in general and a digital library in particular.