Greetings everyone,

The PCC, an international cooperative cataloging effort for library collections, is launching a Wikidata Pilot to further advance the movement toward identity management.  Stated broadly in its Strategic Directions document, the PCC hopes to “Accelerate the movement toward ubiquitous identifier creation and identity management at the network level … attain an environment where identity management work activity is characterized by much greater proportions and numbers of entities receiving identifiers … strategic partnerships and collaboration existing among cultural heritage organizations, rights management agencies, Wikidata, and others … collaborate with other identity management communities to facilitate and promote the use of unique identifiers.”

 

More specifically, this Pilot is anticipated to involve

·       Comparing ease of use and benefits of Wikidata to other registries (LCNAF, ISNI)

·       Assessing the productivity and quality assurance tools that exist (or should exist)

·       Learning about the culture of the Wikidata community

The upcoming Pilot was featured in the LD4 Wikidata Affinity Group meeting of June 16 and more background information and discussion can be found in the presentation recording, slides, and notes.  

 

Participants can choose to experiment in a range of focus areas based on what is of interest to their own institution, sharing their findings without each being required to delve into all the areas that are covered by the pilot. Projects of any size, however small or large, and at any stage of progress are welcome. The PCC invites interested institutions (both PCC and non-PCC) to participate by completing a short survey describing their project and the issues of interest to them. Initial expressions of interest by the end of July will allow the Pilot to get underway with a kick off meeting in early August. We will solicit firm commitments for ongoing participation at a later date.

 

The pilot is anticipated to last about 12 months.  If you have questions, please write to John Riemer or Michelle Durocher.

Hilary Thorsen, on behalf of the PCC Task Group on Identity Management in NACO