Data exchange is never static. Here are some recent changes to best practices and standards that the industry is implementing.

ONIX Version 3.0.7 released

Released October 31, 2019 

Attached: Changes for ONIX 3.0.7.pdf 

• This is an addition of a new Block 7 Promotional details and it has new tags assigned as P.27
• It's placement in the ONIX tree is between Block 2 (Marketing & collateral) and before Block 3 (Content)
• The placement is logical as it's about book promotion and comes after marketing & collateral but there's no easy way to avoid it be out of numerical order as a block or P number.
• As expected the Block PromotionDetail cannot repeat (only Block 6 Product supply can repeat to allow for multiple market support) but it contains the PromotionalEvent composite that can repeat.
• This "Events" section is specifically about promotional events – book signings, author tours, media appearance – and transmitting information in advance of the event (The Block 1 P.8 Event section is for books about Events or Conferences)
• The Promotional Event composite can repeat for different events and each event has to have at least one composite but can contain multiple dates in an Event Occurrence section.  The above documentation and the ONIX manual provide a full explanation.

There are a few other tweaks – a new addition to Prize to support Regional prizes as well as new HTML support in Prize Statement.  Text Content now supports "Text Source Description" to allow for context to be added to a reviewer so their name and credentials can be communicated separately.  Several other tweaks are listed in the document above.

ONIX Codelist Issue 47

Released October 2019

Please see the detailed list of changes here. Please remember that ONIX 2.1 codes remain locked at Issue 36 and new codes are not available to it for shared lists.

You should look at the full list for details as many are of note for Canadians, but summarized are:

• Code List 28 & 29 – Audience Type & Code – the notes have been modified for clarity of these primary but often misused data points
• Code List 32 – Complexity scheme – now supports ATOS for books
• Code List 65 – Product Availability – the notes have been modified for clarity of this primary data point
• Code List 175 – Product Form Detail – new codes for Audio Books and Game Consoles as well as better support for Kindle products.
• Code List 204 – ONIX Returns Conditions – modifications and new codes.  While in North America we normally use BISAC Return Codes, the ONIX list adds additional values
• Support for the new Block 7 – Promotional Events – List 244, 245, 246 and 247 give basic form to a new composite (see more here:  What's New In Bibliographic Standards)

Stay current: Update your Codelists, schemas and documentation regularly

Complete listings of the ONIX codelists in PDF and HTML formats can be downloaded from the EDItEUR website:

ONIX 2.1 documentation, codelists and schemas:  http://www.editeur.org/15/Archived-Previous-Releases
(Use ONIX Code List Issue 36 with ONIX 2.1)

ONIX 3.0 documentation:

• Issue 47 stand-alone codelist documentation as readable PDF or HTML
• Issue 47 TXT, CSV, XML, JSON files for loading into your data management applications, and XSD, RNG, DTD schema modules for use with existing XSD, RNG and DTD schemas
• Issue 47 has also been incorporated into the Specification and Best Practice Guide documentation packages for ONIX 3.0

Need help finding the documentation?  Finding and Using the ONIX Manual and Code Lists

US ISBN Agency is will start using 979-ISBNs in 2020

979 ISBNs have been in limited use in the Canadian supply chain for several years – most distributors have a few dozen in their inventory.  Currently ISBN Canada has not issued any and has no plans to start. The US, however, is running out of 978 ISBN-13 and could begin issuing 979s as soon as January 2020 .  We can anticipate their increased volume in our supply chain over the next year or two and when one of the major US publishers gets their first block we can expect explosive growth. 

It's hard to understand why this should be a problem as it's just another GTIN-13 number assigned to the International ISBN Agency but at standard meetings it's reported that some publishing systems did not allow for the difference. 

Here are a few pointers.

• 979 ISBNs are NOT compatible with ISBN-10.  See why here but by definition all ISBN-10s converted to ISBN-13 must start with 978 so only 978 ISBNs can have an ISBN-10.
• Automated systems often include programming to ensure that all records carry alternative identifiers so matched sets of ISBN and GTIN-13 are created.  If those processes supply both ISBN-13 and ISBN-10 they may not have allowed for the existence of 979. That can mean automation is creating a problem without your being aware of it.
• The ideal and simplest solution for data suppliers is to stop supplying ISBN-10 as they are no longer a relevant identifier in our supply chain. However, like any change, you should first notify your trading partners of your intent and there is a persistent belief among companies that other companies continue to need them.
• It's unlikely that US 979 ISBNs will become a major problem in the early in 2020. If there's a need there's still time for orderly change.  It is really-really-really and thrice-truly-truly time for all companies in all sectors to stop using ISBN-10.
• Fun facts:  979-8 has been assigned exclusively to the US Agency and 979-0 is assigned to sheet music.  There's no word on what 979 prefixes will be assigned to English Canada.

ONIX Version 3.0.6 released

Released April 24, 2019 

Attached: Changes for ONIX 3.0.6 

This is an exceptionally small revision (see below for notes on the Fall 2018 Version 3.0.5 release).  There were two additions

• a Measure composite to Product Part (needed because knowing the size of each component in a multiple part product can be important)
• URL links in Website composites can now repeat to provide language support. (Use of the Language attribute in ONIX 3.0 allows for, say, the main description to be provided in more than one language – so separate composites where the only difference is the language used in the description.  URLs can also link to different languages so the element WebsiteLink is now allowed to repeat within the Website composite if a Language attribute is provided.)

This release had a plan for a promotional event section that was dropped due to a lack of consensus among the national groups. Anyone with a particular interest in having this a tradable within ONIX (or not) should get in touch with BookNet:  biblio@booknetcanada.ca to let us know.  BNC knows we need to support this and are working at developing it within BNC CataList but it's not currently expected within ONIX in the near future.

Thema Version 1.3.2 Released

Thema Subject Codes are modified in major updates - 1.3 is the current and next update is 1.4 expected Spring 2020. 
National extension are updated more regularly as 1.3.1, 1.3.2, etc. and would mostly affect Geography entries, as new members join.   
Note that National extension can only be added to Qualifier lists 1 Geography 3 Time period 4 Education and 5 Interests.

Version 1.3.2 released April 2019 (updated national extensions)
Version 1.3.1 released Fall 2018 (updated national extensions, includes Canadian updates suggested by the French language group)
Version 1.3.0 released May 8, 2018  (Current subject lists)

Documentation available from EDItEUR
https://www.editeur.org/151/Thema/

• Executive briefing – a high-level overview of Thema (PDF)
• Basic Instructions for use of version 1.3 (PDF)
• Using Thema and ONIX together, questions and answers (PDF)
• Diversity and inclusivity briefing (PDF)
• Thema worked examples – illustrated use cases for Thema codes (PDF)

Documentation available from BookNet Canada
Thema Subject Codes

BISAC TO THEMA Translator updated to support BISAC 2018 and Thema 1.3

Released January 24, 2018

To find our more about the Translator here is a link to the introductory blog post:  http://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2014/4/24/introducing-bncs-bisac-to-thema-translator.html#.U8WO8PldXMQ

2018 BISAC Subject Codes

November 2018

The 2017 BISAC Subject list is available from BISG (free to their members):  
http://bisg.org/page/PurchaseBISAC

For more information see the BISG Subject List, on-line reference and general information. 

The general expectation is that the industry will update their records – including backlist -- to reflect these changes.  BISAC Subjects are designed to support retailers and as a list represents a snapshot of what a retailer needs to know, today.  By updating your records yearly you ensure retailers can make the best use possible of all your records.  The above changes only represent 4% of the list. This year, unless you publish graphic novels or histories of Great Britain you likely won't have many changes.

When should a publisher update their list is always a question:  If a trading partner hasn't updated their system data can be lost, or sometimes the record won't get loaded, so it's good to give retailers time to up and generally publishers updating by Feb / March is fairly safe.  If you've coded your biggest title carried a new BISAC Subject I'd get confirmation that my partners were ready to accept the data.

Thema Version 1.3.0 Released

May 8, 2018

EDItEUR has published Thema version 1.3 – the third significant revision of the Thema subject classification scheme.  The complete English language version is available to download from the EDItEUR website:
http://www.editeur.org/151/thema
an Excel spreadsheet, readable PDF and HTML and  as an XML or JSON file, ready for import into data management systems.

The online multilingual Thema browser at https://ns.editeur.org/thema/ has been updated to version 1.3. The old version 1.2 browser is still available at https://ns.editeur.org/thema12/.   Please note that not all of the other languages updates have been completed but EDItEUR will keep it's website updated. EDItEUR provided the following summary of significant changes:

A summary of changes: ThemaV1.3_Additions_changes.pdf.   Thema remains fully backward compatible and there are no significant deviations from Versions 1.0 and 1.2  

In addition to a massive number of new National Qualifers released after Version 1.2 was complete, Version 1.3 includes  261 new core subject codes and 153 new qualifiers. A lot of the changes that have been made are about adding clarity to the meaning of existing codes. The attached PDF document has a complete list of all the new codes and the changes.

• Fiction (F*) has a lot of new codes and changes to existing codes to provide more granularity and choice.
• Clarification to the top-level heading for T* to indicate it applies to industrial processes and that T* codes can be used for titles dealing with the associated skills, trades and professions.
• Children’s, Teenage & Educational has had a lot of new codes and revisions, particularly in the YN* and YX* sections to allow for more detail in general interest / non-fiction as well as increasing the options for giving greater clarity to the YF* codes (Fiction) which can be combined with general interest codes.
• The addition of the new core place qualifiers that are not national extensions.
  • The addition of dates to the time period qualifiers that were missing these.
  • The addition of new educational purpose qualifiers to give more choice to distinguish titles for exams, tests
  • A new group of interest qualifiers 5L* - relating to stages of life, to allow for clarification of subject matter (not audience) for different types of fiction and non-fiction titles dealing with different age groups. 
  • Clarification of the use of codes for reluctant readers (5AR) and Emergent readers (5AX) plus a new qualifier code for titles intended for   people with learning or communication difficulties (5AZ).

Revised Best Practices for Keywords in Metadata: Guide for North American Data Senders and Receivers

February 2018:  has been published.   You can get yours, free, from

https://bisg.site-ym.com/  
Industry Resources / Publications  -- search "keywords"

It's chock-a-block with examples, samples and sage advice. 

Revision completed to ISO ISBN Standard December 2017

We're now at the 5th edition of the ISBN standard and it's not revised often so this is big news on our most important identifier.  This revision was over 2 years in the making.  Download the new version of the ISBN User Manual (the seventh edition as of January 2018)
https://www.isbn-international.org/content/isbn-users-manual

It's only 34 pages long and genuinely helpful.   You can also find the very helpful ISBN FAQ

The new Standard contains:

• expanded guidance on assignment to digital publications
• revised metadata specifications which now bring these in line with ONIX 3.0
• expanded terms and definitions sections
• further clarity on the scope of eligible products
• detailed guidance on the granularity of individual products and the impact on ISBN assignment, such as changes in usage constraints (allowing printing of some pages of a digital publication or lending to a friend), or different product form details (jacketed versus unjacketed hardback)
• an informative annex about how to make ISBN resolvable on digital networks using persistent identifiers, such as expressing an ISBN in DOI or URN
• explanation about the conditions of compliance when implementing ISBN

If you need more information on ISBN head over to BookNet Canada's ISBN page

ONIX Version 3.0.4 released

 November 2017 – Note:  Version 3.0.5 released November 2018, this is left to document changes as both versions are small.

Attached:  Changes for ONIX 3.0.4.pdf

•  This is a relatively small version update and is well detailed in the attached documentation.  Highlights of particular interest in Canada are:
•  Supporting detailed contact information for Suppliers, including using identifiers and establishing a unique code list for the Role.
•  The Price Constraint established for digital use in Version 3.0.3 needed additional support for licensing which has been provide in a Price specific Epub License and Expression composites.
•  Name as Subject’s definition has been broadened to allow it to support fictional characters, both fictionalize versions of real people or organizations as well as entirely fictional entities
• Support for “reserved” stock.  This is generally something traded between publishers and distributors and not released to retailers, but it can now be carried within an ONIX record.
• Support for Language within Content.   While North American metadata doesn’t  currently make use of Content Item, this is expected to change as it’ where complicated structured content can be added.   That content might be in a different language than the record and it can now be specified.
• There a several other changes, one to support for French taxes within price and some additional tweaks to Content Item that can be found in the attached document

New interactive code list lookup sites available

 EDItEUR supports both ONIX Code lists and Thema Subject and Qualifier lists with dedicated lookup sites, complete with their notes.  Pro tip on using either of these in any form:  Read the notes!  You can't know the intent of the value without them and using precisely defined metadata is fundamental to any business exchange.  The description is not intentionally misleading but the notes give clarity. Use your software drop downs as reminders of for the definitions the notes provide and these interactive look-ups make it easy to check. (A little prompt to developers: You should think about how to integrate note access into your ONIX systems and these might help.)

 ONIX 3.0 (updated with every code issue):   https://ns.editeur.org/onix/en

ONIX 2.1 (locked to Issue 36):  https://ns.editeur.org/onix36/en

Interactive Thema code list site:  https://ns.editeur.org/thema/en

New addition to the Canadian Bibliographic Standard
January 2017

Date Recommendations for Canadian Publishers

ONIX 2.1 is now a completely static standard

January 2017

As of Code Issue 36 January 2017 EDItEUR will no longer update future ONIX 2.1 schema to include new "shared" code lists.  In short: New codes in Issue 36 are part ONIX 2.1, but any new code in Issue 37 or after will not be.

Functionally this means that the ONIX 2.1 schema published by EDItEUR in January 2017 includes Issue 36 codes but will never be changed after this point. This marks the end of the extended twilight support offered by EDItEUR.   Therefore:  BNC BiblioShare will continue to process ONIX 2.1 as usual, but will base all future processing on the last published schema for Issue 36.

Best Practices for Product Metadata: Guide for North American Data Senders and Receivers

June 2015 – NEW EDITION RELEASED

A joint BookNet Canada / BISG document that defines the 32 most important pieces of data exchanged in the North American market, provides detail for ONIX 2.1 and 3.0 and offers advice on all product types including print and digital.  

What's New in Bibliographic Standards

It and the EDItEUR ONIX for Books Implementation and Best Practice Guide for ONIX 3.0 (which can be used as a reference to understand many aspects of ONIX 2.1) should be the primary documents used by anyone using or implementing ONIX in North America.

Best Practices for Identifying Digital Products updated

February 2013

BISG Policy Statement POL-1101 -- Best Practices for Identifying Digital Products

An excellent document from 2011 is fully updated and made clearer and more specific.