Issues in an inference platform for generating deductive knowledge: a case study in cultural heritage digital libraries using the CIDOC CRM

Online cultural heritage resources are widely available through digital libraries maintained by numerous organizations. In order to improve discoverability in cultural heritage, the typical approach is metadata aggregation, a method where centralized efforts such as Europeana improve the discoverability by collecting resource metadata. The redefinition of the traditional data models for cultural heritage resources into data models based on semantic technology has been a major activity of the cultural heritage community. Yet, linked data may bring new innovation opportunities for cultural heritage metadata aggregation. We present the outcomes of a case study that we conducted within the Europeana cultural heritage network. In this study, the National Library of The Netherlands contributed by providing the role of data provider, while the Dutch Digital Heritage Network contributed as an intermediary aggregator that aggregates datasets and provides them to Europeana, the central aggregator. We identified and analyzed the requirements for an aggregation solution for the linked data, guided by current aggregation practices of the Europeana network. These requirements guided the definition of a workflow that fulfils the same functional requirements as the existing one. The workflow was put into practice within this study and has led to the development of software applications for administrating datasets, crawling the web of data, harvesting linked data, data analysis and data integration. We present our analysis of the study outcomes and analyze the effort necessary, in terms of technology adoption, to establish a linked data approach, from the point of view of both data providers and aggregators. We also present the expertise requirements we identified for cultural heritage data analysts, as well as determining which supporting tools were required to be designed specifically for semantic data.

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Representing narratives in digital libraries: The narrative ontology

Semantic Web ◽

10.3233/sw-200421 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Carlo Meghini ◽

Valentina Bartalesi ◽

Daniele Metilli

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage ◽

Case Studies ◽

Digital Libraries ◽

Order Logic ◽

First Order Logic ◽

Digital Object ◽

Formal Expression ◽

First Order ◽

Cidoc Crm ◽

Representation Of Knowledge

Digital Libraries (DLs), especially in the Cultural Heritage domain, are rich in narratives. Every digital object in a DL tells some kind of story, regardless of the medium, the genre, or the type of the object. However, DLs do not offer services about narratives, for example it is not possible to discover a narrative, to create one, or to compare two narratives. Certainly, DLs offer discovery functionalities over their contents, but these services merely address the objects that carry the narratives (e.g. books, images, audiovisual objects), without regard for the narratives themselves. The present work aims at introducing narratives as first-class citizens in DLs, by providing a formal expression of what a narrative is. In particular, this paper presents a conceptualisation of the domain of narratives, and its specification through the Narrative Ontology (NOnt for short), expressed in first-order logic. NOnt has been implemented as an extension of three standard vocabularies, i.e. the CIDOC CRM, FRBRoo, and OWL Time, and using the SWRL rule language to express the axioms. On the basis of NOnt, we have developed the Narrative Building and Visualising (NBVT) tool, and applied it in four case studies to validate the ontology. NOnt is also being validated in the context of the Mingei European project, in which it is applied to the representation of knowledge about Craft Heritage.

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Multilingual metadata for cultural heritage materials

The Electronic Library ◽

10.1108/el-08-2013-0141 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 136-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Krystyna K. Matusiak ◽

Ling Meng ◽

Ewa Barczyk ◽

Chia-Jung Shih

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage ◽

Digital Libraries ◽

Controlled Vocabulary ◽

Small Scale ◽

Digital Collections ◽

Content Type ◽

University Of Wisconsin ◽

Intellectual Control ◽

The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore multilingual access in digital libraries and to present a case study of creating bilingual metadata records for the Tse-Tsung Chow Collection of Chinese Scrolls and Fan Paintings. The project, undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, provides access to digital copies of calligraphic and painted Chinese scrolls and fans from the collection donated by Prof Tse-Tsung Chow (Cezong Zhou). Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the current approaches to multilingual indexing and retrieval in digital collections and presents a model of creating bilingual parallel records that combines translation with controlled vocabulary mapping. Findings – Creating multilingual metadata records for cultural heritage materials is in an early phase of development. Bilingual metadata created through human translation and controlled vocabulary mapping represents one of the approaches to multilingual access in digital libraries. Multilingual indexing of collections of international origin addresses the linguistic needs of the target audience, connects the digitized objects to their respective cultures and contributes to richer descriptive records. The approach that relies on human translation and research can be undertaken in small-scale digitization projects of rare cultural heritage materials. Language and subject expertise are required to create bilingual metadata records. Research limitations/implications – This paper presents the results of a case study. The approach to multilingual access that involves research, and it relies on human translation that can only be undertaken in small-scale projects. Practical implications – This case study of creating parallel records with a combination of translation and vocabulary mapping can be useful for designing similar bilingual digital collections. Social implications – This paper also discusses the obligations of holding institutions in undertaking digital conversion of the cultural heritage materials that originated in other countries, especially in regard to providing metadata records that reflect the language of the originating community. Originality/value – The research and practice in multilingual indexing of cultural heritage materials are very limited. There are no standardized models of how to approach building multilingual digital collections. This case study presents a model of providing bilingual access and enhancing the intellectual control of cultural heritage collections.

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Ground Probing Radar prospecting and urban cultural heritage: the case study of San Pietro dei Pescatori church in Cagliari, Italy

Environmental Semeiotics ◽

10.3383/es.6.2.1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 18-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

L. Piroddi ◽

S. Calcina ◽

A. Trogu ◽

W. Bakinowska ◽

M.L. Casnedi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage

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Digital Storytelling in Cultural Heritage: Audience Engagement in the Interactive Documentary New Life

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031193 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1193

Author(s):

Anna Podara ◽

Dimitrios Giomelakis ◽

Constantinos Nicolaou ◽

Maria Matsiola ◽

Rigas Kotsakis

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage ◽

Full Range ◽

Social Dimension ◽

Data Driven ◽

Specific Interest ◽

Key Factors ◽

Audience Engagement ◽

Main Research ◽

The Social

This paper casts light on cultural heritage storytelling in the context of interactive documentary, a hybrid media genre that employs a full range of multimedia tools to document reality, provide sustainability of the production and successful engagement of the audience. The main research hypotheses are enclosed in the statements: (a) the interactive documentary is considered a valuable tool for the sustainability of cultural heritage and (b) digital approaches to documentary storytelling can provide a sustainable form of viewing during the years. Using the Greek interactive documentary (i-doc) NEW LIFE (2013) as a case study, the users’ engagement is evaluated by analyzing items from a seven-year database of web metrics. Specifically, we explore the adopted ways of the interactive documentary users to engage with the storytelling, the depth to which they were involved along with the most popular sections/traffic sources and finally, the differences between the first launch period and latest years were investigated. We concluded that interactivity affordances of this genre enhance the social dimension of cultural, while the key factors for sustainability are mainly (a) constant promotion with transmedia approach; (b) data-driven evaluation and reform; and (c) a good story that gathers relevant niches, with specific interest to the story.

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Distribution and Integration of Military Settlements’ Cultural Heritage in the Large Pass City of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty: A Case Study of Juyong Pass Defense Area

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137166 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7166

Author(s):

Yukun Zhang ◽

Songyang Li ◽

Lifeng Tan ◽

Jiayin Zhou

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage ◽

Ming Dynasty ◽

Conservation Strategy ◽

Defense System ◽

Current Conservation ◽

North West ◽

Cultural Routes ◽

Great Wall ◽

The Ming Dynasty

The Great Wall of China is more than a wall: it is an extensive cultural route. Pass cities, which are usually large defensive fortresses overseeing an entire fortified area, are an essential part of this heritage and are at the core of the Great Wall’s defense system. Juyong Pass was the closest Pass city to Beijing during the Ming Dynasty when the Great Wall reached its peak. It consisted of five regions—south, east, north, west, and central—that form three fortification levels: core castle, Bao city, and End facility. Based on the Juyong defense area military settlements database, this paper applied spatial analysis methods and found that more than half of the military’s resources for the whole defense area were focused on the western part of the wall, which formed another military core alongside Juyong Pass city. However, the current conservation strategy only focuses on Juyong Pass itself, neglecting the settlements in the western part, thereby destroying the integrity of the Great Wall’s heritage. By clarifying the distribution of cultural heritage in this area, we hope to encourage the preservation of many fortifications according to their authentic historical sphere of control and provide a reference for the sustainable integration of resources along the significant cultural routes of the Great Wall.

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Qualitative Fire Vulnerability Assessments for Museums and Their Collections: A Case Study from Kosovo

Fire ◽

10.3390/fire4010011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 11

Author(s):

Charlotte Fafet ◽

Erinë Mulolli Zajmi

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage ◽

Fire Suppression ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Risk Awareness ◽

Staff Members ◽

Heritage Sites ◽

Vulnerability Assessments ◽

Suppression Systems ◽

Simulation Exercises

Fires are among the most frequently recurring hazards affecting museums and cultural heritage sites. The fires of the National Museum of Brazil in 2018 and of Notre Dame de Paris in 2019 showed that the consequences of such events can be heavy and lead to irreversible heritage losses. In Kosovo, few studies were made about the risks that can affect cultural heritage sites. A project led by the NGO Kosovo Foundation for Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB Kosova) in 2018 explored the most prevalent risks for the cultural heritage sites of the country and highlighted fire as a predominant risk in Kosovo. In order to better understand it, vulnerability assessments were conducted in several museums in Kosovo. Data were collected through field visits in the different museums, in which interviews with staff members as well as observations were conducted. The aim of this paper is to present the main results of the fire vulnerability assessments conducted in Kosovo’s museums in 2018. An important aspect of this project is the approach to collect information in data-scarce environments. It is believed that the questionnaires used to lead interviews with museums’ staff members could help other practitioners to collect data in such contexts and evaluate more easily the risk of fire for the museums and their collections. In the context of Kosovo, one of the main findings is the identification and prioritisation of measures to ensure better protection of Kosovar museums. Structural mitigation measures such as alarm and fire suppression systems are not the only elements necessary to improve the resilience of Kosovar museums to fire. Indeed, the promotion of risk awareness, the training of staff members and the realisation of crisis simulation exercises are just as important in order to prevent and detect a fire, and above all, to respond quickly and accurately if a fire occurs.

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Visiting Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Sites: From Value Cognition to Attitude and Intention

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12010132 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 132 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Qihang Qiu ◽

Tianxiang Zheng ◽

Zheng Xiang ◽

Mu Zhang

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage ◽

Tourism Development ◽

Intangible Cultural Heritage ◽

Cultural Resources ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Tourism Product ◽

Heritage Site ◽

Development Evaluation ◽

Positive Correlations

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) has recently become an important area of tourism development for many countries that are home to such cultural resources. Within this context, the value of an ICH site has often been used to guide tourism development and policy making. In addition, community residents’ attitude and perception of ICH contribute to tourism development. In this study, we used the traditional firing technology of Longquan celadon in Zhejiang Province, China, as a case study to understand the relationships between value recognition and attitude along with the intention to visit the heritage site. We surveyed 368 residents and conducted path analysis to test such relationships. Findings revealed significant positive correlations between residents’ cognition of ICH value, their attitudes and travel intentions. Among them, attitudes played a mediating role in the formation of value cognition to travel intention. These findings offer insights into ICH-related tourism development, particularly regarding tourism product design, marketing and post-development evaluation, as well as the conservation of ICH sites.

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Preservation of Cultural Heritage Embodied in Traditional Crafts in the Developing Countries. A Case Study of Pakistani Handicraft Industry

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10051336 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 1336 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Yongzhong Yang ◽

Mohsin Shafi ◽

Xiaoting Song ◽

Ruo Yang

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Cultural Heritage

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