Prepare your BIBFRAME data
Discover the specifications and guidelines for BIBFRAME data.
Overview
In data sync collections, you can submit BIBFRAME version 2.3.0 data to be processed in a Bibliographic or Delete WorldCat Holdings Data Sync collection.
Note: Please note that BIBFRAME data and MARC data should always be processed separately using separate data sync collections.
OCLC expects a structure that is similar to the 'cbd.rdf' serialization used by the Library of Congress for use in their editor, MARVA: e.g. https://id.loc.gov/resources/instances/5226.cbd.rdf.
Format of data
- BIBFRAME RDF/XML (.rdf) representing a Concise Bounded Description (CBD) for exchange. https://www.w3.org/submissions/CBD/
- Each description should be serialized to a file with a unique name with the extension .rdf, eg. 123456789.rdf. These rdf file(s) should be compressed in a .zip file.
Structure of data
A bibliographic record can be constructed from a RDF/XML document representing a CBD with the following characteristics:
- Root tag <rdf:RDF>
- The root tag should contain the following namespaces:
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:rdfs="http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#" xmlns:bf="http://id.loc.gov/ontologies/bibframe/" xmlns:bflc="http://id.loc.gov/ontologies/bflc/" xmlns:owl="http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#" xmlns:skos="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#" xmlns:dcterms="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" xmlns:foaf="http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/> - Exactly 1 top-level bf:Instance subject
- The Instance should have a bf:adminMetadata property with a bf:AdminMetadata resource which conforms to LC's documentation. https://www.loc.gov/bibframe/bftm/AdminMetadata-bf2marc%20v2.1.xlsx
- Exactly 1 top-level bf:Work subject
- The bf:Work subject, must be linked with the bf:Instance entity, as the object of a bf:instanceOf predicate, and as subject of a bf:hasInstance predicate.
- The bf:Work must also include 1 or more rdf:types to map to the MARC21 LDR/06 and LDR/07 codes. See https://www.loc.gov/bibframe/bftm/Work-bf2marc%20v2.3.xlsx
- Optionally 0-1 top-level bf:Item subject. The item must be linked to the bf:Instance entity, as the object of a bf:hasItem predicate.
Note: this is Item information that would be contained in a MARC21 Bibliographic Record, not a MARC21 Holdings record.
Deletions
Deletions can be indicated in the BIBFRAME data by using the bfcl:Deprecated class.
If you are not able to indicate deletions within the data, you may use a separate Delete WorldCat Holdings collection to submit your deletes.