EuropeanaTech 2023

Yale University has recently launched LUX, a standards-based discovery platform that brings together collections from our museums, libraries, archives and special collections. The system improves upon existing infrastructures by seamlessly integrating traditional record-based search with graph-based queries, and clearly demonstrates end-user value of connecting and enriching data across domain, organizational and institutional boundaries. Leveraging links in the graph, we can allow users to explore the rich connections among the collections, people, places, concepts and events with a focus on discovery, rather than on searching.

With more than 17 million objects, described using 41 million records with some 2 billion relationships, LUX relies on automated reconciliation across the internal datasets and more than a dozen external authority sources. We rely heavily on data standards such as Linked Art for descriptive metadata, and IIIF for image interoperability. The data is intentionally FAIR, being also published as CC0 at persistent URIs. The paradigm used for synchronisation is based on IIIF Change Discovery, which in turn is built upon the fediverse-supporting ActivityStreams specification, enabling ease of expansion and decentralisation.

In this session you will learn how Yale was successful in adopting, implementing and openly publishing a large scale knowledge graph for cultural heritage, including both the social cohesion and internal structures essential for innovation, and the technologies and standards used. You will gain access to the source code and data, and understand how to leverage the graph effectively and in real time in a coherent and friendly user interface.