Linking Publishers and National Bibliographic Services Factsheet 2 - December 1996

Telematics for Libraries

Project information

The BIBLINK project, which is co-funded by the European Commission, aims to establish an electronic link between national bibliographic agencies and publishers of electronic material, in order to create authoritative bibliographic information that will benefit both sectors. It was launched on 1st April 1996 with funding from the Telematics Applications Programme.

Project partners

BIBLINK is being led by The British Library; its partners include:

Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid, Spain
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Den Haag, Netherlands
Nasjonalbiblioteket, Rana, Norway
UKOLN, University of Bath, United Kingdom
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

Two sponsors advise the project:

Book Industry Communication (BIC), London, United Kingdom
CD-ROM SPAG, London, United Kingdom

Goals and schedules

BIBLINK has been divided into two distinct phases, each expected to last about eighteen months:

Phase 1, April 1996-September 1997: In addition to the scope of the project being more precisely defined, basic information is being collected in the following work packages:

WP0: scoping the project - in terms of both electronic material and publishers
WP1: study of metadata formats
WP2: unique identification of publications
WP4: conversion to MARC formats within library systems
WP5: transmission of data between libraries and publishers
WP6: authentication of publications and corresponding metadata
WP7: consolidation and review

WP3: consensus building. This will extend over several months and will result in agreement on the above matters and the production of a high level design requirements document for phase 2.

Phase 2: The prototype demonstration system will be developed and installed at the sites of the project partners and the participating publishers for trials.

Work completed

WP0 - The scoping document has been produced. It has been agreed that the scope of the publications for BIBLINK are all those publications that would normally be selected for the National Bibliography - recognising that the countries involved vary in their selection criteria and in their deposit laws. Selection will therefore be on the basis of content rather than medium. Both on-line and off-line documents will be included whether produced by established publishers or bodies whose core business is not publishing.

WP1 - the metadata study. A number of metadata formats currently exist, influenced by the needs of the communities in which they emerged. This report delivered by this work package has identified and analysed these.

Work in progress

WP2 - methods of uniquely identifying electronic publications. Taking account of the existing numbering schemes developed by the library community and the work being done in the Internet community, this work package will recommend a suitable identification scheme for electronic publications.

WP5 - data transmission. The method by which data is to be exchanged between publishers and national bibliographic agencies is being examined in this work package. The technical and operational characteristics of the data transmission options will be summarised and recommendations made.

Work planned in the near future

WP6 - authentication of publications and corresponding metadata. This work package, due to start early in 1997, will specify the requirements of national bibliographic agencies for ensuring the authenticity of the publications referred to by the record they will generate. Appropriate standards bodies and encryption experts will be consulted.

WP3 - consensus building. The first publishers' workshop will be arranged to take place early in the new year.

More information

Further factsheets will be issued as the project progresses, both on paper and on the BIBLINK WWW page. For further information contact:

Ross Bourne
Project Co-ordinator BIBLINK
The British Library
Boston Spa
Wetherby
West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ
United Kingdom

Tel.: +44 1937 546591
Fax: + 44 1937 546586
E-mail: ross.bourne@bl.uk
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/BIBLINK/