BILLI

Owned by repotech (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Aug 06, 2015 by Josh Hadro (Unlicensed)
2 min read

Bibliographic Identifiers for Library Location Information. 

The BILLI system will convert our existing classmarks (also known as call numbers) used in the catalog into a linked data set and provide machine readable API access and stable URIs for each classmark. NYPL has a long history of classification in practice. The original system developed, the Billings Classification, began use in 1899 (http://lair.nypl.org/cms/?page_id=1227) and while parts are still in use today other classification schemes have been employed including multiple fixed order systems (http://lair.nypl.org/cms/getfile.cfm?file_id=1335) along with dozens of specialized classmarks used in various divisions. This system pertains to the research library materials, all branch resources are classified using the Dewy Decimal System.

The BILLI system goals are:

  • Provide a machine readable URI for use in the registry system
  • Provide a human interface to the various classmarks in use to allow staff to contribute institutional knowledge (a more sustainable version of the past wiki work http://lair.nypl.org/wiki/main/index.php/Category:Classification_%28Research_Libraries%29) 
  • Provide a system to house equivalencies made between our classmarks and external classification systems including LCC and Wikidata.
  • A pilot for managing our own vocabularies.

In administrator language:

  • Can contextualize our classmarks in a way we couldn't do before
  • Make equivalencies between our proprietary classification scheme, and what's used in all other libraries
  • Let's us create something like StackLife from Harvard Library Lab


Work Plan

  • Convert legacy Billings documentation to RDF (Complete) billings_star_groups_orginal.txt.nt  billings_main_groups_orginal.txt.nt
  • Feed catalog data from shadowcat to generate the base classmark dataset (Complete)
  • SKOS Data model (Complete)
  • Postgres data platform, likely Heroku (TODO)
  • API/URIs (TODO)
  • Human interface (TODO)
  • Job to regularly update new classmark entities via shadowcat (on hold for now)

 

Data model 

 

Postgres table layout documentation

TODO

 

API / URI Response

TODO

Server Config

TODO