Library data: what is it and what changes do libraries need to make? (the Data Deluge Column)

In 2016, the “Data Deluge Column” explored the sometimes frustrating reality of cataloguing and metadata librarians as their discipline underwent change.

The column, called “Metadata specialists in transition: from MARC cataloguing to linked data and BIBFRAME”, alluded to the ongoing and significant changes in the practice of cataloguing and metadata creation, but did not delve into the nature of the changes and what they mean for libraries in general.

This instalment of the “Data Deluge Column” expands that discussion by exploring the emerging model for the data that libraries create and manage.

It seems that it has taken about 20 years to overcome the inertia required to begin to reinvent the practice of and environment for creating library data. Perhaps, some of this inertia is because of predictions of the current distress and pressure felt by cataloguing departments today.