Conversion of MARC21 Bibliographic to LRM/RDA/RDF: Setting the stage and creating the tools

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. This presentation falls under the Technology Matters subtheme which focuses on the technological advancements that support metadata standards and emerging technologies, including AI. Emerging linked data technologies promise innovative uses of legacy bibliographic library data in new information landscapes. While many of the necessary technological tools for implementing legacy data as linked data, including models (i.e. IFLA LRM), vocabularies, and mappings, already exist, what is missing is the data itself. To bring legacy bibliographic data into the linked data landscape, it must be represented using entity-based conceptualizations as defined in the core model the library community shares: the IFLA Library Reference Model. The University of Washington Libraries initiated an open source project to create a robust mapping between the MARC21 bibliographic format and the IFLA LRM as expressed in the RDA/RDF vocabulary, along with a corresponding conversion tool, in 2021. The project aspires to provide a groundwork for adoption of LRM/RDA/RDF based on experimentation with a test dataset. In support for the ongoing integration of IFLA bibliographic standards worldwide, the LRM/RDA/RDF combination of...