BookNet Canada

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    So someone told you the content had to be accessible

    What does it take to make digital content truly accessible? It involves proper planning, testing, and ensuring that accessibility isn’t just an afterthought. Jean Kaplansky, an experienced technology trainer, developer, and solutions architect, gives us the what, why, and how.

  • ONIX 2.1 Is Riding off into the Sunset

    On December 31, ONIX 2.1 is making like a cowboy and riding off into the sunset after 11 great years on the metadata ranch. If you send or receive ONIX, it’s likely that you have questions. Get your answers here!

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    ONIX 3.0 – A Gnome’s Perspective on Digital Values for the Faint of Heart

    Got ebooks? Here’s a primer on ONIX 3.0 just for you. We’ll get you set up with the ONIX manual, show you which sections to look at, and explain a bit about why things are set up the way they are. Bonus: Your host is a gnome named Biblio. A metagnome, if you will. You’ll…

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    Introducing BNC’s BISAC to Thema Translator

    OK, so you’ve heard about Thema, the new international standard for book classification, but you’re already using BISAC. Is there an easy way to find Thema codes for your titles based on the BISAC codes you already have? Never fear: the BISAC to Thema Translator is here!

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    ONIX 2.1 to 3.0 Converters: What They Can and Can’t Do

    Converting ONIX 2.1 to ONIX 3.0 is a very useful way to learn where “stuff” goes in ONIX 3.0 but publishers are confused why, once they’ve done the conversion, it’s just not good enough. I’ve been participating in arguments about it–and, as always, after the fact, came up with a succinct explanation. Be happy you…

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    What Does It Mean to Implement ONIX 3.0?

    It’s a vexing question. I like to explain ONIX for Books by separating out the standard (what you track as metadata) from the technical side (XML, which can be thankfully ignored in this post). ONIX as a standard is a way for two companies to exchange information about books without ambiguity by using published definitions.…

  • Mind-Control, Conscious Consumption, and Big Data: Caught in the mesh 2012 Conference

    The mesh conference is a must-attend conference for tech people in the GTA who don’t have the budget to attend the TED conferences. mesh looks to provide a platform for people to explore the latest trends in society, technology, and emerging business models across a number of disciplines. The audience is as diverse the presenters.…

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    Getting Data Dropped: Support and Update Your Records

    BNC BiblioShare has been getting queries from publishers asking why after dropping a record from their ONIX feed it hasn’t disappeared from The 49th Shelf. BiblioShare supplies data to a lot more firms than The 49th Shelf and that list is growing, but we like that you’re paying attention and finding problems in 49thShelf.com. Here’s…

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    A Lesson on Metadata

    Yesterday I took the second of four metadata BISG webinars. It featured our Bibliographic Manager (or, as I like to call him, our Data Czar), Tom Richardson, along side Richard Stark, Director of Product Data at Barnes & Noble. This webinar went over the 31 key data elements in ONIX, what they mean and why…

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    Canadian Bookshelf, eh?

    If you haven’t already visited, Canadian Bookshelf, I would highly recommend you take a little time to do so. The site itself looks great and there is a plethora of great (Canadian) content already there with more to come. I won’t go into all the features and functions of the site here as you can…