REPURPOSING SPECIAL COLLECTIONS THROUGH LINKED OPEN DATA IN DIGITAL LIBRARIES

Abstract

Special collections have long occupied an ambiguous position within the broader ecosystem of academic and research libraries. Cherished as repositories of unique cultural heritage, rare manuscripts, archival records, and distinctive local materials, they are simultaneously perceived as costly to maintain, difficult to discover, and underutilized by all but the most dedicated specialists. The digitization of these collections promised to alleviate their obscurity, yet too often digitization has merely produced high-resolution images that replicate the physical artifact without unlocking its intellectual content. This article argues that the true potential of special collections lies not in digital surrogacy but in their transformation into actionable, interconnected data through the application of linked open data principles. By exposing the semantic structures embedded within special collections, libraries can repurpose these materials for novel forms of research, teaching, and public engagement that transcend the boundaries of traditional collection use. The article examines the technical, conceptual, and organizational dimensions of this repurposing, drawing upon emerging practices and pilot projects to illustrate both the transformative possibilities and the substantial challenges that libraries must confront.