Katalogeina

Katalogeina is a theoretical framework in library and information science for representing and exchanging catalog metadata across information systems. The name combines a root associated with catalogs with a suffix commonly used for abstract concepts, signaling a unified approach to catalog data management.

Definition and purpose: Katalogeina envisions a modular architecture that separates the mechanics of data exchange from the content of the records. It defines a core metadata schema, a library of mapping rules that translate between source formats, and an service layer that supports discovery, retrieval, and provenance tracking. The aim is to improve consistency, interoperability, and reusability of catalog records across institutions and platforms.

Core components: The framework centers on a core schema containing essential bibliographic fields such as title, creator, subject, description, publisher, publication date, format, identifier, language, and rights. It includes a metadata mapping subsystem to align diverse formats—MARC, Dublin Core, and BIBFRAME among them—with the core schema. Additional elements cover data quality and validation, change history and provenance, and programmatic access through APIs (RESTful interfaces) and harvesting protocols (such as OAI-PMH). Governance and stewardship practices are embedded to ensure documented lineage and version control.

Applications and reception: Katalogeina is proposed for use in digital libraries, national or regional union catalogs, and multinational digitization projects. By providing a common backbone for metadata exchange, it seeks to facilitate cross-institution search, aggregation, and long-term preservation. Its reception depends on alignment with established standards and community consensus on implementation strategies.

See also: library metadata, MARC, Dublin Core, BIBFRAME, FRBR, OAI-PMH.