MARCille

MARCille is a conceptual metadata framework and reference implementation designed to streamline the modernization of MARC-based library catalogs by exposing data as linked data. The project envisions mapping MARC21 and related MARC formats into RDF, aligning with W3C best practices, and enabling interoperability with BIBFRAME, Schema.org, and other linked-data vocabularies. By providing a common mapping, a validation toolkit, and migration utilities, MARCille aims to help libraries transition from traditional MARC record-keeping to more interoperable data ecosystems while preserving existing metadata.

The name MARCille combines MARC with a diminutive suffix, and is used in discussions of metadata modernization rather than as a historical brand with a formal governance body.

In scholarly discussions, MARCille is described as a community-driven concept arising in the early 2020s as part of broader efforts to move toward BIBFRAME and linked-data approaches. It is not an official standard issued by a standards organization, but rather a reference model and set of tooling assembled by contributors from libraries, archives, and information-technology projects.

Key features include a MARC-to-RDF mapping layer, a modular data model for MARCille Resources, validation utilities, and open-source migration scripts. The tooling is designed to support incremental adoption, allowing libraries to publish MARC records as linked data without complete catalog overhauls, and to interlink records with external datasets such as authority files and bibliographic data. Applications include enhanced discovery, metadata quality assessment, and cross-institution interoperability.

Related topics include MARC standards, MARC21, BIBFRAME, linked data, library metadata, and schema.org.