Knowledge creation, sharing, and discovery are evolving. Libraries, universities, and research institutions must keep pace as metadata becomes dynamic, interconnected, and AI-ready. Linked data is key to this shift—ensuring collections and research remain visible, trusted, and globally connected.

Join Research Information, OCLC, and West Virginia University for an in-depth discussion on how linked data is reshaping library metadata strategy, research access and institutional impact. Learn how AI and linked data together can transform information reach, support collaboration and drive innovation. Experts will explore the opportunities, challenges, and real-world applications of linked data in academic organisations.

What You’ll Gain from This Discussion

Understand The State of Linked Data Today – Learn what linked data is, why it matters, and how it benefits your institution. We’ll show how OCLC’s strategy ensures your collections and research outputs integrate with emerging technologies, expand global exposure, and enhance research recognition.

The Practical Impact of Linked Data – We’ll look at how linked data can improve real life workflows, from local vocabularies to managing research information to cross-institutional collaboration.

Real-World Implementation – West Virginia University will share how they are using linked data to connect library records with modern discovery layers and commercial search tools—enhancing the visibility and impact of scholars and research with regional significance.

Balancing Tradition & Innovation – Hear how libraries can harness linked data while upholding the trust, precision, and authority of legacy metadata. Speakers will explore the role of linked data in preserving and integrating existing catalog data into nascent knowledge platforms, enhancing accuracy, reducing AI hallucination, and ensuring reliability in a rapidly evolving research landscape.

Interactive Q&A & Dialogue –Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the speakers, ask questions, and contribute to the broader conversation on the evolution of metadata, research visibility, and retrieval.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is aimed at academic leaders, research library directors, and metadata strategists who are thinking about the future of metadata and how their institutions can adapt to an increasingly interconnected and AI-driven research environment.

Join the conversation. Bring your perspectives, questions, and insights as we explore what’s next for linked data in libraries and research institutions.

Register now to be part of this essential discussion.

Speakers

Jeff Mixter
Jeff Mixter is a Senior Product Manager within OCLC's Metadata and Digital Services division. He manages OCLC's linked data products, applications, and services. Jeff holds Bachelor's Degrees in History and German from The Ohio State University as well as Master's Degrees in Library Information Science and Information Architecture/Knowledge Management from Kent State University.

Dr. Annette Dortmund
Dr. Annette Dortmund leads OCLC's European product management and research concerned with next-generation metadata solutions for libraries and other cultural heritage institutions, with a particular focus on persistent identifiers in scholarly communication and library linked data. She also coordinates and supports European research and engagement programs for the OCLC Research Library Partnership. She has co-authored a number of OCLC Research reports in her area of expertise.

Emily Fidelman
Emily Fidelman is the Head of Metadata Services at West Virginia University.  She has served several large public universities in Alaska, Colorado, and North Carolina in both technical and public-facing roles, as a public library Trustee, and as the current Chair-elect of the American Library Association's Metadata & Collections Section.  She has been cataloging in OCLC WorldCat for more than two decades, and her research interests include bibliometrics for open publications and the use of legacy metadata to tune, benchmark, and assess discovery.

Moderator:
Tim Gillett, editor, Research Information