n. (abbr. of Bibliographic Framework)a model for structured bibliographic description for use by metadata creators intended to support linked data applications for discovery and access to resourcesMiller et al. 2012, 3The new, proposed model is simple called BIBFRAME, short for Bibliographic Framework. The new model is more than a mere replacement for the library community’s current model/format, MARC. It is the foundation for the future of bibliographic description that happens on, in, and as part of the web and the networked world we live in. It is designed to integrate with and engage in the wider information community while also serving the very specific needs of its maintenance community—libraries and similar memory organizations.Gueguen et al. 2013, 578The LOCAH project has taken a different approach by focusing on EAD as the basis for the model. This is motivated by the desire to expose existing description represented in large aggregations of EAD instances (such as ArchivesHub) as LOD [Linked Open Data]. The LOCAH model includes Record, Agent, Event, Time, Place, and Subject entities. It is similar in approach to models developed in the library community to expose existing authority and cataloging records (for example, the Library of Congress Linked Data Service and the emerging BIBFRAME model).Lin 2013, 146The goal of BIBFRAME is to create a linked data model for bibliographic information, agile and flexible enough to deal with resources in the future.Mitchell 2013, 5Since 2007, LAM (libraries, archives, and museums) communities have developed new cataloging and archival processing frameworks (e.g., RDA, DACS, and CCO) and are keenly interested in exploring the impact of new information systems on user needs. In the library world, this discussion has led to the BIBFRAME initiative and a focused effort to implement the Resource Description and Access (RDA) specification.LoC 2016aBIBFRAME 2.0 organizes [bibliographic] information into three core levels of abstraction: Work, Instance, and Item.Niu 2016, 104Generic vocabularies cannot represent all the nuances needed for archival description. Therefore, some projects also use specialized vocabularies that define terms for archival materials. For example, BIBFRAME and the bibliographic extensions of Schema.org define “collection” as a class. Although this class is not unique for archival materials, it can definitely be used for archival collections. BIBFRAME also defines “archival” as a subclass of instance (bibframe.org/vocab-list/#Archival). Other terms in BIBFRAME that address archival needs include “arrangement” and “custodialHistory.”Park, Richards, and Brenza 2019, 549BIBFRAME aims both to replace MARC as a bibliographic standard and to provide a framework for optimizing library data within the networked environment.Park, Brenza, and Richards 2020Thus, while BIBFRAME holds the promise of freeing library data from the silos of online catalogs and to permit library data to interact with data both within and outside the library community, there may still be challenges to overcome in order to optimize these capabilities.
Notes
In 2011, the Library of Congress began the Bibliographic Framework (BIBFRAME) Initiative with the goal of creating a bibliographic model to replace MARC. It is deeply associated with the implementation of RDA.
