BIBLIOGRAPHIC NETWORKS AS DATA ECOSYSTEMS

ANALYSIS OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/PCC AND THE RVBI

Abstract

With the emergence of Linked Data, the bibliographic record has shifted from being monolithic and isolated data to a representation of connected entities and relationships, expanding the possibilities for data integration and sharing in collaborative environments. In this context, bibliographic networks bring together institutions, data, standards, technologies, and cooperation mechanisms, forming environments that can be understood from the perspective of data ecosystems. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the constitution of data ecosystems in libraries based on two cooperative bibliographic networks: the Library of Congress through the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (LC/PCC), at the international level, and the Virtual Library Network (RVBI), at the national level. The research adopted a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, using bibliographic and documentary procedures. Initially, a literature review was conducted on cooperative cataloging, Linked Data, and data ecosystems. Subsequently, institutional and technical documents from the selected networks were analyzed, considering participants, cooperation mechanisms, shared data, representation standards, and technological infrastructure. The results show that both networks present characteristics compatible with the notion of a data ecosystem, as they articulate institutional actors, cooperation mechanisms, standards, technologies, and continuous flows of data sharing and updating. It is concluded that bibliographic networks can be understood as data ecosystems when they promote, in an integrated manner, the production, circulation, sharing, and reuse of information through coordination among agents, standards, technologies, and cooperative workflows.