In this article, Axel Kaschte analyses how the application of semantic web standards and technologies in libraries is extending and enriching academic enquiry, including practices such as "distant reading". Distant reading is a technique that uses large-scale data aggregations to explore relationships between authors, readers, concepts and cultural contexts. In a linked data context, these approaches can be applied at scale across decentralised networks, enabling interdisciplinary analyses. This presentation will highlight examples of how libraries are building and contributing to this new and dynamic information ecosystem, connecting a new generation of readers to cultural heritage collections.