Linked Open Usable Data for Cultural Heritage - HTML version of the thesis ready

[Julien A. Raemy]

Dear IIIFers,

I am pleased to announce that my PhD Thesis in Digital Humanities titled "Linked Open Usable Data for Cultural Heritage: Perspectives on Community Practices and Semantic Interoperability" is finally available in HTML format. The PDF version was published in December 2024.

• HTML Version: https://phd.julsraemy.ch/thesis.html
• PDF Version on the University of Basel's repository: https://doi.org/10.5451/unibas-ep96807
• Swiss National Library's e-Helvetica: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:ch:bel-bau-diss155487

As many of you have been participants in my research, I wanted to highlight sections that might be of particular interest to the IIIF community:

Chapter 6 on The Social Fabrics of IIIF and Linked Art examines the community dynamics, governance structures, and collaboration patterns within IIIF and Linked Art.

Section 9.1 of the Discussion summarises key empirical findings across several themes including:

•    Community Practices and Standards
•    Inclusion and Marginalised Groups
•    Maintenance and Community Engagement
•    Interoperability and Usability
•    Future Directions and Sustainability
•    Digital Materiality and Representation
•    Challenges of Scaling and Implementation

Grounded in Actor-Network Theory, the thesis analyses how Linked Art patterns reflect the tension between creating advanced specifications and their practical implementation. It also explores how Linked Art can serve as semantic gateways in broader contexts, allowing round-tripping across APIs. The research examines potential future directions for Linked Art, including the possibility of forming a new consortium or integrating with IIIF as a new TSG.

I hope this research can contribute to ongoing discussions about community practices, inclusivity, and the future directions of Linked Art. I'm more than happy to discuss it over a call, on Slack, or in person at the 2025 IIIF Conference in Leeds for those who will be present.

Kind regards,
Julien

[Julien A. Raemy]

--> Dear Linked Art Community... of course!