BIBFRAME

BIBFRAME, short for Bibliographic Framework for the Digital Age, is a model and vocabulary for describing bibliographic information using Linked Data principles. Developed by the Library of Congress in collaboration with other libraries and standards bodies, it is intended as a successor to MARC that enables more flexible, web-friendly bibliographic data and easier interlibrary and online discovery.

The BIBFRAME model is RDF-based and centers on three core classes: Work, Instance, and Item. A Work represents the abstract intellectual content of a publication, such as a novel or a musical work. An Instance denotes a concrete manifestation of that work, such as a specific edition or translation. An Item refers to a particular copy or digital object that can be held or accessed. In addition, BIBFRAME incorporates agents (persons or organizations), places, times, languages, subjects, and relationships that connect works to related resources and authority records, enabling richer linking across catalogs and external data sources.

BIBFRAME supports the conversion and mapping of existing MARC records into the RDF-based framework and encourages publication of data as Linked Data. It provides a reusable vocabulary for describing bibliographic concepts and relationships, with support for multilingual forms and alternative titles, formats, and non-descriptive metadata. The framework is designed to improve discovery, interoperability, and reuse of bibliographic data across libraries, publishers, and the broader web.

Adoption of BIBFRAME has progressed through pilots and experimental catalogs, with ongoing development to expand coverage, refine mappings, and align with linked data best practices. It is widely discussed as a foundation for modernizing library metadata while maintaining compatibility with existing catalogs.