A smart data case study using Wikidata to expand access and discovery in the Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts

This case study explored the results and lessons learned from the initial contribution of over 10,000 name identifiers to Wikidata and considered the use of Wikidata for enhancement of data related to premodern manuscripts. Wikidata, as a Linked Open Data (LOD) repository and hub, was used in the semantic enrichment of a particular dataset from the Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts (SDBM) Name Authority, yielding unique insights only possible from linking data from Wikidata and the SDBM. Mapping named entity metadata related to premodern manuscripts from one context to another was also explored, with a particular emphasis on determining property alignments between the linked data models of the SDBM and Wikidata. This resulted in a workflow model for LOD management and enhancement of name authority data in library, archive, and museum (LAM) contexts to encourage the manuscript studies community to contribute further data to Wikidata. This research demonstrates how the application of smart data principles to an existing dataset can address knowledge gaps related to people traditionally underrepresented in the digital record and opens new possibilities for access and discovery.