The Blossoming of the Semantic Web: Linked Open Data and the American Art Collaborative Thursday 21st November 1:30pm to 3:00pm Symphonie 1, Hyatt Regency Montreal Diana Folsom Head of Collection Digitization, Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Culture (Gilcrease Museum) Shane Richey Digital Media Manager, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Eleanor Fink Information Sciences Institute, USC Pedro Szekely @szeke Information Sciences Institute, USC Rachel Allen Deputy Director, SAAM The semantic web is rapidly becoming the foundation for internet query results, but until now there has been no easy, practical way for museums to participate. By repurposing Karma, a software utility originally created by USC for the scientific community, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has been able to prepare its 44,000 collection records and offer content formatted through SPARQL points as Linked Open Data for the semantic web. Based on this productive experience, USC and Eleanor Fink have invited other museums, both small and large, to participate in a collaborative which will bring American art into the forefront of shared information on the internet as a proof-of-concept project. This panel brings together the visionary leaders of the initiative to answer questions and present results--from the big idea to the practical nuts and bolts of implementation. Panelists include the project creator, software architects, and museum staff. The co-chairs represent the perspective of small museums eager to shape their first collection online initiatives with this structuring in mind. Please note: Pedro Szekely will not be attending in person. He is making a short video for the session.