Great news! Our academic article by Kara Long and Erin Yunes, which was about their collaborative metadata work with Paisaq, was published online today.

📘 Long, K. & Yunes, E. (2025). From Notes to Networks: Using Obsidian to Teach Metadata and Linked Data. Code4Lib, 61. https://journal.code4lib.org/articles/18535.

• Abstract: In this article, we describe a novel use of the note-taking software Obsidian as a method for users without formal training in metadata creation to develop culturally relevant data literacies across two digital archiving projects. We explain how Obsidian’s built-in use of linked data provides an open-source, flexible, and potentially scalable way for users to creatively interact with digitized materials, navigate and create metadata, and model relationships between digital objects. Furthermore, we demonstrate how Obsidian’s local and offline hosting features can be leveraged to include team members with low or unreliable internet access.

We’re thankful as well that Mita Williams shared her thoughts about Kara and Erin’s work with Paisaq on her blog, Librarian of Things:

… the authors are suggesting that the strength of Obsidian is not inherent in the technology, but in its affordances that allows for everyone involved to see the back-end of a database, to contribute language to the work, and to experience the consequences of not using controlled language. Some of the qualities of Obsidian that allow for these affordance is that the software is free to use, it works offline, it can be synchronized with other instances, it works in plain-text, it is not controlled by venture capital, and it can extended with a myriad of plug-ins, among other features.

But what I particularly is especially worth celebrating is that the authors used the software for “making with” their community, instead of buying and “making for”.