What is the purpose of this site?
This site is intended to be a repository of information for Topic Maps especially as they relate to libraries.
What is XTM?
XTM is the XML representation of the larger concept known as 'Topic Maps'. XTM is used for storage and exchange of Topic Maps, but should not be confused with the larger concept of Topic Maps that also includes query language, constraints language and more.
What are Topic Maps?
There are two simple answers; 1) a defined data model, and 2) a set of standards where 1) is just one part of it.
As defined in the XTM specification, a topic is an addressable resource within a computer that stands in for (or “reifies”) some real-world subject. A topic map conveys knowledge about those resources (and therefore about the subjects they reify) through a superimposed layer, or map, of the resources. Furthermore, a topic map captures information about subjects, and the relationships between subjects, in a way that is implementation-independent. See http://www.xinfomodel.com/glossary.html
Where can I see an example of a Topic Map?
See http://www.ontopia.net/omnigator/models/index.jsp
Make sure you have latest JRE available at http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html
Where can I find research on Topic Maps and their applications, also in LIS/libraries
See TMRA, the annual conference on Topic Maps Research and Applications