Planting Cedar: An Open Source Linked Data Vocabulary Manager at the University of Houston Libraries

Abstract This article describes the rationale for creating and maintaining Cedar, a linked data controlled vocabulary management system for the University of Houston (UH) Libraries, including the systems that support and extend its functionality. It also discusses the design process for Cedar, its interfaces, the vocabulary generation and management process, and how Cedar is utilized by UH Libraries systems and workflows. The article concludes with a discussion of issues encountered during application development, questions remaining to be answered around establishing policies for local term creation, lessons learned, and future plans for Cedar use and development.