Beyond the catalog: the practice of standardized metadating and linked open data in the world of the German language

Linked open data and the semantic Web request an essential ‘preinvestment’, namely in form of an as much as complete and consequent production of standardized metadata and/or the usage of the regarding authority files if possible by all the institutions of memory. In Germany – like in the major part of the other countries of the western hemisphare – the standardized output of metadata or better the usage and the development of the authority files is much more advanced in the library world than in the areas of archives and museums. Consequently the German librarian authority file, the so called ‘Common authority file’ (GND – Gemeinsame Normdatendatei), is growing not only steadly, but dynamicly. The GND is the result of a long lasting cooperation between the DNB – German National Library and the six regional/interregional library networks of today in Germany as well as of the Austrian Library Network (ÖVB) or more precisely of their respective authority file redactions. More and more the relevant authority file is applicated also outside the library world in interdisciplinary projects where also archives and museums are participating. Examples of this type of cooperation are: •the German National Biography in its online-version (key word: beacon) •the German Digital National Library, DDB (key word: Entity Facts-Service of the DNB) •Wikipedia (with the usage of the results of the international project VIAF) •Bavarikon, the cultural portal of Bavaria In the near future or next steps in this field are regarding the visualisation of the search results under various aspects. That will be one of the prior objectives.