1. Introduction to BIBFRAME
an overview of concepts and BIBFRAME Editor demo
Jim Kalwara
Carole Griffin
Emily Semenoff
September 11, 2019
Colorado Alliance Cat-Ref Meeting

2. Goals for today
Gain a general understanding of the purpose of BIBFRAME
Gain a beginner-level familiarity with some of the vocabulary terms used in BIBFRAME
Gain a general understanding of the differences between BIBFRAME and MARC metadata input
Receive exposure to the demo BIBFRAME Editor

3. Background and context
In 2011, LC’s Working Group of the Future of Bibliographic Control recommended a transition plan to create a new bibliographic framework which could sunset MARC and support bibliographic data creation and exchange within a linked data environment
Group identified various requirements for this new model

4. Background and context
Broad accommodation of content rules and data models (cataloging rules agnostic)
Provision for types of data that logically accompany or support bibliographic description (holdings, authority, classification, rights data, etc.)
Accommodation of textual data, linked data with URIs instead of text, and both textual data and URIs
Compatibility with MARC-based records
Provision of transformation from MARC 21 to a new bibliographic environment (MARC 2 BIBFRAME Converter)
Continuation of maintenance of MARC until no longer necessary

5. Bibliographic Framework Initiative
BIBFRAME: a linked data model
Initiated by the Library of Congress
“BIBFRAME provides a foundation for the future of bibliographic description, both on the web, and in the broader networked world that is grounded in Linked Data techniques.”
“A major focus of the initiative is to determine a transition path for MARC 21 formats while preserving a robust data exchange that has supported resource sharing and cataloging cost savings in recent decades.”
Currently in an ongoing process of development
BIBFRAME 1.0: initial draft published November 2012
BIBFRAME 2.0: published in April 2016

6. Linked Data & Semantic Web
Semantic Web: a web of linked data or linked things and entities
An extension of the current web environment which enables machines and people to understand and reuse/share data on the web more easily
An environment where metadata is connected by semantically meaningful links
Named links, which indicate specific relationships between entities or things
Entities or Things: Persons, places, objects, events, concepts, etc.
Making parts of the web operate more like a database, to be queried like a database
Attempt to expose metadata on the web, and better exchange metadata within our own library systems so that it is suitable for machine consumption – to better serve humans
stage.pdf

7. Linked Data
Linked data is not a specification or fully defined technology, but really a set of best practices for supporting a data infrastructure that makes it easier to share data across the Web
Techniques for publication, consumption, and reuse/sharing of data on the web for machine processing, in addition to human
Makes data linkable to other data with the end goal of creating a large web of linked data that both machines and people can explore
Music Linked Data Project:

8. Linked Data Principles
Using Data (not text)
From controlled vocabularies and ontologies (LCSH, NAF, VIAF, ISNI, ORCID, etc.)
Using Identifiers (not words) to represent:
Things or Entities (person, place, concepts, event, organization, etc.)
Relationships
Creating Statements (not records)
Using Triple statements (subject -> predicate -> object) to create relationships between things and entities
This Work -> Was written by -> this author
Their eyes were watching God (subject) -> has author (predicate) -> Zora Neale Hurston (object)
URI for work -> URI for relationship -> URI for object
-> ->
Coyle, K. (2011). ASIST webinar: Library linked data, part I: Introduction to the Semantic Web [PDF file].

9. BIBFRAME and linked data practices
Necessary to create a vocabulary that aligns itself with linked data practices
BIBFRAME 2.0 Ontology
Consists of Resource Description Framework (standard model for data interchange on the web) classes and properties
Organized into three core classes
Work, Instance, and Item
Includes additional three classes to define relationships with the core classes: Agents, Subjects, and Events

10. Overview of BIBFRAME Model

11. Work – Instance – Item

12. Work “the conceptual essence of the cataloged resource” (LOC)
Война и мир
(War and peace)
Preferred title
Author
Also contributor and translator
translations are considered works in Bibframe
Subject
Language
Content type
Authorized Access Point
Tolstoy, Leo, graf, Voina i mir

13. Instance “individual, material embodiments” (LOC)
Title Proper
ISBN
Publisher
Place/date of publication
Format
Edition
Media type
Pagination/Dimensions

14. Item “an actual copy (physical or electronic) of an Instance” (LOC)
Location
Shelf mark
Barcode

15. Agents
Three additional classes that define relationships to the core classes
Agents:  Agents are people, organizations, jurisdictions, etc., associated with a Work or Instance through roles such as author, editor, artist, photographer, composer, illustrator, etc.
Hurston, Zora Neale, author
Abbott, Elenore Plaisted, illustrator
Parks, Gordon, , photographer

16. Subjects
A Work might be “about” one or more concepts. Such a concept is said to be a “subject” of the Work.
Subjects include topics, places, time periods, events, works, agents, instances, etc.

17. Events
Events:  Occurrences, the recording of which may be the content of a Work.
An Event may also be the subject of a Work.

18. MARC vs BIBFRAME Data Input
Thanks Jim. As you’ll soon see that while similarities remain between MARC and BIBFRAME input (we still have “fields” and “templates” of a sort), its user-friendliness is its best selling point!

19. General differences between MARC and BIBFRAME
MARC combines information about conceptual work and its physical carrier and uses text strings for access points
BIBFRAME approach differs by emphasizing relationships between other resource descriptions (Work-to-Work relationships; Work-to- Instance relationships; Work-to-Agent relationships) by using controlled identifiers, instead of text strings, to represent entities or things (people, places, corporate bodies, subjects, languages, etc.)
The idea being that this will enable library metadata to be leveraged or better exposed on the web
BIBFRAME FAQs:

20. So how does it look when actually cataloging?
But for input purposes all we need to know is…

21. Creating a new bibliographic description
But let look closer at a few differences…one difference is that the format selection, leaders, and fixed fields have been replaced by profiles, which will be customizable in the future
OCLC
BIBFRAME

22. In OCLC

23. In BIBFRAME

24. MARC to BIBFRAME Metadata Mapping
BIBFRAME also eliminates all that pesky punctuation! Memorizing MARC fields, tags, and indicators is a thing of the past! As you can see, I’m an advocate. But don’t take my word for it, now you get to try it for yourselves!

25. BIBFRAME Resources BIBFRAME Home page: http://www.loc.gov/bibframe/
BIBFRAME Training at the LC:
BIBFRAME Demo Editor:
Intro to Semantic Web & Linked Data (from LC):
LC Linked Data Service site:

26. Thanks for listening! Questions?
Jim Kalwara,
Carole Griffin,
Emily Semenoff,