Linked data (LD) has been a focus of much activity in the fields of cultural heritage, humanities and art and architectural history over the past several years, as evidenced by projects including Yale’s Lux search tool and the conversion to LD of the data in the Census of Antique Works of Art and Architecture Known in the Renaissance and the Getty Provenance Index. Much of the attention and resources focused on LD has centered on the technical challenges of creating LD repositories and/or interfaces. There have so far been fewer opportunities to consider LD from the researcher’s perspective or for scholars to share with each other the challenges and opportunities of research in an environment of LD. How specifically do (or could) scholars use linked data or linked data-powered research and discovery tools to conduct research and write histories of art, architecture, and other forms of cultural heritage? What role could scholars of art and architectural history play in creating and maintaining an ecosystem of LD? Moreover, how can LD–in both the practices associated with it and the research it produces–be more ethical and inclusive?

As a step towards forming a community of practice around LD for art and architectural history and cultural heritage research, we are inviting those interested to participate in convenings related to the exploration of LD and its application to research and scholarship in these fields. For further details and to express interest in participating see https://forms.gle/KrYJaLex3tXyNfCCA.

Please complete and submit the form by March 5, 2024 for full consideration. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at LDinAHgooglegroups.com.

Organizers:
Kathleen Christian, Professor of Early Modern Art History (Humboldt Universität Berlin)
Sandra van Ginhoven, Head, Getty Provenance Index (Getty Research Institute)
Emily Pugh, Principal Research Specialist for Digital Art History (Getty Research Institute)