Open access to the RVM in the form of linked data

 

In 2018, the Université Laval Library invited the two national libraries, LAC and BAnQ, Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire (BCI), the City of Montréal, the City of Québec, Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec, and Fédération des cégeps to form a partnership to fund open online access to the Répertoire des vedettes-matières (RVM), in the form of linked data.

 

This is a big challenge. Developing this kind of terminology tool, offering it online in the form of linked open data, and maintaining the service all require the right technological choices and upgrades, supported by ongoing funding.

 

A new governance structure was put in place in January 2020. Since then, the Governance Committee has been working hard to secure medium- and long-term funding for the RVM. The pandemic has obviously slowed down negotiations with potential partners, but the process continues.

 

Current RVM clients must therefore continue to pay a subscription fee to access the RVM thesauruses.

 

Université Laval and the group of partner institutions on this project guarantee that every effort is being made to provide open online access to the RVM as soon as possible.

 

As previously stated, once the thesauruses are available online in the form of linked open data, current subscribers will be refunded on a pro-rata basis.

 

The RVM Governance Committee