There are many XML schemas available for modeling MARC data. Most take a literal approach, naming elements and attributes after their corresponding MARC fields, subfields, and indicators. Others represent only a small subset of the data libraries use to describe resources. XOBIS attempts to walk the middle path: describe the full set of library information, but reorganize this information into a structure that empowers the use of library data as just one more information resource available in the digital domain.

Note: These pages are best viewed with IE5 and higher, Netscape 7 or Mozilla 1.0.

Important links are:

• XOBIS – an Experimental Schema for Unifying Bibliographic and Authority Records
  (general overview)
• The schema (expressed in Relax NG and in HTML).
• The PDF version of the schema's General Overview (99 pages, dense; start with article above)
• Two example XOBIS records (in one file)
• The Medlane-XOBIS mailing list

• Introduction
• Related Efforts in the Community
• Background Material (There's No Business Like XOBIS)
• XOBIS Root Element and General Organization
• Principal Elements and Core Structure
• Generic Elements
• Attributes
• Individual Principal Elements
  cf. Individual Element names in box on right
• Relationships
  cf. Relationships in box on right
• Indexing Implications
• Conclusion
• References
• Acknowledgements
• Disclaimer

The XOBIS page is moving soon.  Please bear with us during this transition to a distributed model.

Please sign up and send comments to the Medlane-XOBIS mailing list.
Thanks for your comments and suggestions...