BIBFRAME Interoperability Group: Tackling Implementation Challenges Across Institutions

Abstract

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Advisory Committee on Standards hosted a symposium on metadata, with the theme “Metadata Standards Matter: Building a Sustainable Future for Information” at the National Library of Greece, Athens, on 19 March 2025.

As libraries and cultural heritage institutions move toward adopting BIBFRAME (Bibliographic Framework Initiative), achieving interoperability between different implementations has become a critical challenge. BIBFRAME aims to modernize bibliographic data by following Linked Data principles, which enable richer connections between data and allow for more flexible sharing across systems. However, for BIBFRAME to work effectively in diverse environments, there needs to be greater consistency in its application. Without this consistency, data exchange, integration, and discoverability can become difficult. To address these challenges, the BIBFRAME Interoperability Group (BIG) was formed in June 2022 by the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC). BIG consists of thirteen organizations including national libraries, OCLC, Share-VDE, and academic libraries. The primary goals of the BIG are to develop guidelines to ensure BIBFRAME data can be shared consistently and accurately across systems, as well as to create the tools and infrastructure needed for large-scale adoption. In 2024, BIG focuses on three key initiatives: Tabular Application Profiles: Developing standardized “interlingua”...