[DCRM-L] Rare Materials Ontology Extension : Update

[Jason Kovari]

Colleagues,
 
In April 2016, RBMS’ Bibliographic Standards Committee (RBMS-BSC) began an informal collaboration with LD4P [ http://ld4p.org/ ] on the Rare Materials Ontology Extension (RareMat): [ https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/LD4P/Rare+Materials+Ontology+Extension ]. The intention of this work is to ensure that the unique descriptive needs of rare materials are facilitated in linked data modeling. While LoC focuses on core descriptive needs with BIBFRAME, RareMat seeks to extend that model. For many modeling areas, RareMat has very successfully partnered with ArtFrame, an LD4P-funded project focusing on the description of art materials; the two groups have overlapping use cases and shared interest in unique and scarce materials.
 
It is important to note that this project is designed as an experiment with the intention of bringing to RBMS-BSC potential modeling for consideration; adoption and usage of and RareMat component will be determined by RBMS-BSC following initial development, assessment and testing.
 
The group has created the following recommendation documents; the models represented in these documents will be written into OWL files for implementation in RDF-based tooling:
 
- Accession Numbers
- Bibliographic Citations
- Custodial History
- Fonts, Handwriting Type and Notations
- Materials
- Measurements
- Physical Condition
- Signature Statements

All of these documents are available: https://github.com/LD4P/ArtFrame-RareMat/tree/master/modeling_recommendations 
 
The RareMat group encourages the creation of GitHub issues to provide feedback on any of the above modeling recommendation documents; however, we are very happy to engage on the DCRM-L list.
 
Our current work focuses on the following two areas – with future work plans still under development:
Pagination & Foliation
Related Resources (e.g.: Bindings)

We will post infrequent updates to this space as more milestones are reached; further, Bib Standards aims to hold a web-based meeting on this work prior to ALA Midwinter.

 
On behalf of the Rare Materials Ontology Group.
 
Amber Billey (Bard College)
Amy Brown (Boston College)
Todd Fell (Yale University)
Steven Folsom (Cornell University)
Peter Green (Princeton University)
Linda Isaac (University of Miami)
Jason Kovari (Team Lead. Cornell University)
Margaret Nichols (Cornell University)
Michelle Paquette (Stanford University)
Audrey Pearson (Yale University)
Timothy Thompson (Yale University)
Rebecca Younes (Cornell University)
 
And on behalf of select ArtFrame Colleagues who’ve strongly collaborated with RareMat:
Marie-Chantal L'Écuyer-Coelho (Bibliotheque et Archives Nationales Québec) 
Maria Oldal (Morgan Library & Museum)
Melanie Wacker (Team Lead. Columbia University)