Introducing the new Bowker Book Data website. ProQuest and LibraryThing, the co-developers of Syndetics Unbound, have announced Bowker Book Data, a new website for anyone interested in high-quality book data. Check out the website here: https://bowkerbookdata.proquest.com. Find out More The power of Syndetics Unbound comes from a combination of detailed, comprehensive data delivered and a simple, easy-to-implement architecture. A single line of code added to a library catalog or other book-world system brings everything alive, from enhancing records with data to rich exploratory features, such as similar books, series lists and professional reviews.
The following is adapted from an article by Stella Griffiths, Executive Director of the International ISBN Agency and Chair of ISO/TC46/SC9, that first appeared on ISQ (Information Standard Quarterly), a NISO (National Information Standards Organization) publication, in September 2015. The original article can be found at https://bit.ly/3wTpfZ2 ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is an international standard first published under the auspices of ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) in 1972. Right from the introduction of the very earliest audiobooks, microforms, and CD-ROMs, ISBN has not been a standard only for printed materials, though of course, print will always be important.
Learn more about ProQuest’s use of library classification systems Written by Michael Olenick, Sr. Content Business Analyst at ProQuest With many different subject classification systems where most are referred to by their acronyms, it is sometimes hard to tell your BISAC from your BIC from your LCSH. Here is a brief overview of some classification systems that are used by our content team. BISAC subjects have been the North American book industry standard for over 25 years.
A closer look at the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) By Pat Payton, ProQuest Senior Manager for Provider Relations and a Member of the BISG Metadata Committee This week’s Syndetics Unbound story takes a deep dive into Bowker’s activities within the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), an independent not-for-profit group, with members from all over the book industry, including ProQuest/Bowker. Their work has a far-reaching impact on the library industry, including on Syndetics Unbound.
This blog provides a historical review of the life of R.R. Bowker, and the dynamic impact and legacy that he’s left on the library world today. By Bob Nardini Today the largest library on the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus is closed to most people due to COVID-19. But one hundred years ago, despite lingering cases of that era’s influenza pandemic, at the building’s opening in 1920 the day was marked with public ceremony.
