[UPDATE: The ONIX converters will be retired on Dec. 31, 2016. You can find out more here.]
Today we are happy, no, ecstatic, to announce the release of one new ONIX converter and an upgraded BNC Excel Template to ONIX converter. This might not be exciting to everyone, but to us metadata junkies this is a little like a Data Festivus. So exactly what do we have:
- BookNet has released a new converter that will convert ONIX 2.1 (following the Canadian Bibliographic Standard) to ONIX 3.0. Yup, 2.1 in…3.0 out.
- We have also refreshed the BNC Standard Excel Template to ONIX Converter to output either ONIX 2.1, or ONIX 3.0.
Did I mention that to use them is free? No, well it is. Go ahead and check them out. Any comments? We’d love to hear them—biblio@booknetcanada.ca
Caveats
- This should likely not be used in a production environment until you have thoroughly tested things. While the conversion works well there may be cases where it doesn’t (tell us about those cases). Also, there are very few, if any, data recipients accepting ONIX 3.0 yet. Don’t start sending ONIX 3.0 to anyone until you know it will work for them. Definitely don’t stop sending data in the format you are now without some discussion with said recipients.
- The converters can only convert data, they don’t add data. So, you are really missing many of the ‘new’, and important, changes that the development of ONIX 3.0 brings to the table. Go read about some of them here and get the standard.
- Most important! Garbage in, garbage out! Validate your data, send it into BiblioShare and get a free data quality report.
