Shush-Free Zone - Where librarians get loud! Episode 7: Jessica Talisman - From Card Catalogs to Ontologies: Building Knowledge Systems for Humans and AI
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Jan 1, 2026 
Jessica Talisman, a librarian and semantic systems expert, shares her journey from GLAM institutions to the corporate world. She explores the necessity of library skills in making sense of messy data and discusses the importance of intentional semantic structures for AI. Jessica explains the difference between taxonomies and ontologies, and the Ontology Pipeline methodology, emphasizing how this can streamline information systems. The conversation turns to her vision for AI ontologies and building a knowledge commons, highlighting the essential role of librarianship in a tech-driven world.
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Childhood Card Catalog Project
- Jessica built a home library in third grade with card pockets, file folders, and a checkout system.
- That childhood project sparked a lifelong obsession with cataloging and organization.
Teach Teams To Own Semantic Systems
- Teach teams to build semantic systems instead of delivering finished systems and leaving.
- Empower people with collaborative consulting so systems can be maintained and evolved in production.
Ontologies Are The Logical Layer
- Ontologies add a descriptive logical layer beyond labels by declaring relationships and definitions.
- They make data machine-readable, interoperable, and enable logical reasoning for AI.
