*** Superseded contents ***

*** Go to ISBD Linked Data Study Group for updated information ***

 

Goals and objectives

IFLA Cataloguing Section's ISBD Review Group approved the recommendations from its Material Designation Study Group to develop an XML Schema for the ISBD. This has been considered important for the ISBD Updating Project from the aspect of researching into the possibilities of reviewing ISBD concepts and the standard itself by the application of web technologies to the field such as building an ISBD-XML schema, and of evolving the standard into a tool open to Semantic Web technologies and services. The ISBD/XML Study Group was formed and accepted by the Cataloguing Section Standing Committee during the IFLA meeting in Quebec, 2008.

The main goals of the project are (1) to build a consensus on the raison d'être of moving the ISBD into the web environment, and define possible uses of such a product, (2) to develop an ISBD-XML schema, (3) to ensure the interoperability of the product with similar ones such as MARC/DCXML schemas, at least at the conceptual level, within the current Semantic Web technologies and services, (4) to liaise with relevant constituencies in the field, and (5) to propose further development of software tools and services.

Due to the fact that it will not be possible to develop appropriate software tools and services within the proposed two-year project, and due to the rapid changes of web technologies, the primary objective of the ISBD/XML Study Group in this project is to position the ISBD as a relevant factor in assessing structured bibliographic information in the global information environment.

Methodology

The methodology will be based on the above goals:

  1. build consensus and define uses of an ISBD-XML set of tools
  2. identify and contact a consultant, preferably someone who would liaise between ISBD/XML SG and Semantic Web communities
  3. identify and contract an XML expert for the purposes of building the ISBD-XML schema
  4. identify and define bibliographic and/or related XML schemas to verify the possibilities of interoperability
  5. identify necessary procedures to position ISBD within the Semantic Web environment

Timeline

Beginning of the project (January 2009) – August 2009 (IFLA Conference; 1st meeting):

  1. build consensus and define uses of an ISBD-XML set of tools: preliminary report to be presented to the ISBD Review Group and Cataloguing Section for discussion and acceptance
  2. identify and contact a consultant, preferably someone who would liaise between ISBD/XML SG and Semantic Web communities
  3. identify and contract an XML expert

August 2009 – March 2010 (2nd face-to-face meeting):
(1) XML expert to purpose and build the first draft of an ISBD-XML schema; ISBD/XML SG members to consult and comment
(2) ISBD/XML SG members work with the consultant (liaison) to identify and define bibliographic and/or related XML schemas to verify the possibilities of interoperability: preliminary report discussed

March 2010 – August 2010 (IFLA Conference; 3rd meeting)

  1. XML expert to build the first draft of an ISBD-XML schema; ISBD/XML SG members to consult and comment
  2. ISBD/XML SG members with the consultant (liaison): draft report on the interoperability to be presented to the ISBD Review Group and Cataloguing Section for discussion and acceptance
  3. ISBD/XML SG members with the consultant (liaison) to identify necessary procedures to position ISBD within the Semantic Web environment: draft report to be presented to the ISBD Review Group and Cataloguing Section for discussion and acceptance
  4. Presentation of the interim results at the IFLA Conference workshop/session

August 2010 – January 2011 (end of the project)

  1. Finalize the ISBD-XML schema
  2. Finalize documentation

It is expected that the ISBD/XML SG will have its 4th face-to-face meeting in late Nov./early Dec. 2010 to finalize the documentation.

Anticipated beneficiaries and stakeholders

It is anticipated that the result of the project will be primarily the (re)positioning of the IFLA standard and its values of enabling provision and (re)use of authoritative structured bibliographic information in the Internet environment. The anticipated beneficiaries and stakeholders will all be interested in producing/sharing/(re)using authoritative bibliographic information in the web environment. This is in accord with the core values defined in the IFLA Statutes, article 2.3.2: "b) the belief that people, communities and organizations need universal and equitable access to information, ideas and works of imagination for their social, educational, cultural, democratic and economic well-being".

Expected outcomes and results and how these will be disseminated

The expected outcomes are:

  1. Document on the use and application of the ISBD-XML
  2. ISBD-XML schema
  3. Document on the directions of further actions to position ISBD within the Semantic Web environment

The project's outcomes will be presented at the Cataloguing Section and ISBD Review Group's workshops during the IFLA conferences, published in relevant journals, while the ISBD Schema and all relevant documentation will be published on the IFLA website following their approval by the Review Group and Cataloguing Section.

Contribution to IFLA priorities

This project should be attached to IFLA's profession pillar. One of the aims of the IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Digital Strategies (ICADS) is to focus on digital library issues and standards.

This project can be seen as a constituent part of the Cataloguing Section's Strategic Plan 2007-2009: "3.2 Begin the work on the first revision to the consolidated ISBD for publication in 2009".

Plan of follow-up action

Taking into consideration that the present proposed project's two basic goals are to identify the relevant issues of new environment for the ISBD as a web content standard and to build the basic tool such as an ISBD-XML schema, it is realistic to predict a follow-up project that will aim at developing software tools and services appropriate to the then-current web technologies.