Radically Open Cultural Heritage Data on the Web

What happens when hundreds of thousands of archival photos are shared with open licenses, then mashed up with geolocation data and current photos? Or when app developers can freely utilize information and images from millions of books? Like the web of documents that became the World Wide Web, a web of data is the goal of Linked Open Data.  This paper examines how a cultural, technological, and legal environment is enabling a growing ecosystem of open historical data.  We explore the fundamental elements of Linked Open Data, how a global community within libraries, archives and museums is beginning to play a critical role, and how we are moving toward broader adoption.