Melinda is preparing to move gradually into linked data
Progress has been made in various fields of investigation into Melinda’s migration to a new platform. The Asteri authority database will also undergo changes in due course.
In the near future, the library sector will be transitioning into linked data, which will affect library systems currently in use. In connection with this transition, the National Library of Finland is migrating the National Metadata Repository Melinda to a new platform. We are in the process of investigating alternatives for replacing Aleph, the integrated library system that has long functioned as the platform for Melinda. Our efforts are mainly focused on open source systems that support linked data.
In addition to this investigation, the National Library of Finland is taking various measures to assist in the migration. Melinda’s platform change is closely connected to the Linked Library Data project, which aims to develop a linked data model for bibliographic description. In early 2023, the project published the first draft of its linked data model. The next version will be published this spring, and the model will be developed further this year and next year. The project is also preparing rules for converting metadata between MARC 21 and the new data model. Despite the implementation of linked data, MARC 21 will remain in use in local library systems for a long time.
Melinda’s migration from Aleph to a new platform also means changes to the Asteri authority database, which is currently based on Aleph. We have recently examined how various bibliographic description tools for linked data handle the use and production of authorities. We are also exploring how APIs and integrations will function in the future. At the moment, Melinda provides integrations for several local library systems. Our goal for the future is to streamline the technological solutions behind these integrations and base them on open APIs.
For more information, please contact melinda-posti@helsinki.fi.