AbstractThrough content analyses of literature about the Linked Data (LD) adoption of individual libraries, this study found that the diffusion of LD among libraries is a decentralized process with high‐degree of reinvention and a continuous process that includes multiple stages and might last for many years. The diffusion of LD among libraries involves the diffusion of numerous related innovations, follows three paths (inter‐library, intra‐library, and inter‐librarian), and is facilitated by four types of institutions (professional associations, vendors, external funders, and leading libraries) and three factors (avoiding re‐inventing the wheel, standardization, and commercialization).