[Edit][History] last modified may 15

Data format

If you want to send your bibliographic records to the Open Library, please follow these few suggestions:

  • Please do not include acquisitions records, or records for items that have not yet gone through the cataloging process.
  • Use an available bibliographic standard. Examples of such standards are MARC21, UniMARC, ONIX.
  • Each record must have a unique identifier. This is generally the local system record number plus an identifier for the system. In MARC21, the local system identifier is placed in the 001 field, and the library or system identifier, from the LC organization code, is in the 003. Another source of codes is the National Bibliographic Number, or NBN.
  • When sending records in a MARC or UNIMARC format, use that format's character set. When sending records in an XML format, use Unicode.

How to upload

  1. Create an archive.org account: http://www.archive.org/account/login.createaccount.php
  2. FTP the files to catalog-upload.archive.org using the username (most likely your email address) and password you just created.
  3. Contact us and let us know if you have uploaded something.

Thanks!