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BNC Bronze TemplateIf you're new to Canadian Bibliographic Certification, the BNC Bronze Template is the best place to start. The Bronze Template was created in order to meet developments in the supply chain, provide better support to retailers and ensure compatibility with the US certification program. This template is identical to the one now supplied by Indigo for updating and should be considered the standard spreadsheet exchange format for Canada. How Does It Work?If you know how to use Excel (or really any spreadsheet program), then you're already on the homestretch. Just use the Column Headers to enter the required title information for your books. It's seriously that easy. The Style Guide is a handy reference if you get stuck or you're not sure where to put what. Click on either of the links below to get a copy: Contact us at biblio@booknetcanada.ca for more information. Bronze Template 1.2The Bronze Template was updated in Fall 2008 in response to a need for greater Canadian-specific data and to keep in step with the US market and their certification program. As the industry exchanges data it builds a need for more finely grained information, and more of it. EDI and other data exchange networks like GDSN need specific elements to be included. The Bronze Template is intended to represent the minimum data elements needed currently to support the supply chain and retail sales. Supporting a marketing program that involves online retailers, libraries and others needs more data, including systematically archiving appropriate images and descriptive information that can be supplied using the ONIX XML standard. Like producing catalogues and material for your sales force, it's another tool to support sales. And like these familiar materials, marketing material sent via XML requires preparation and care if it is to be used effectively. New columns added include:
More details about the new fields can be found in our updated Style Guide, on the template itself and in the Canadian Authors and Canadian Content sections of this site. Contact us at biblio@booknetcanada.ca for more information. Converting Your Old TemplateIf you have data in your old template, you can convert it into the new template by inserting columns where the new data goes and then using cut and paste to move it to the new template. Note: we recommend working from a copy of your current data and having a replacement new template available just in case. In the old template, insert a column by highlighting each of the following and using Excel's Insert function to add a column in sequence.
After that, it's just a matter of highlighting the data in the old template and pasting it into the new template. Check it thoroughly - Excel can be funny about cut and paste and data can be lost if you're not careful. Make sure that everything displays in the old template the way you want it to appear in the new: dates and long number strings like EANs in particular are a source of problems. You might need to stabilize the display by converting the cell format to Text. And, of course, where appropriate all the new data points should be supplied following the rules in the new Styleguide. The template has a separate tab that includes specific suggestions about the new data - most publishers will find it straightforward. Children's books (which will need age ranges) and audio books (which will need duration times) will be the most trouble, but this data is important to retailers and can help sales. Contact us at biblio@booknetcanada.ca for more information. Believe in the StandardBooksellers expect (and their programming demands) that the column order and the top line header information be identical, so be sure to always send a standard template. Always warn retailers when you change templates - they should have no problem accommodating either the old template or the new one so long as they know what they have. Keeping the column order and headers intact doesn't mean you can't sort the spreadsheet to make data entry easier or to check your data. You can sort rows (individual book records) so long as you're careful not to disassociate information in columns from each other. The order of the records doesn't matter to the recipient since they load the data based on the name and order of the columns. ONIX and Enhanced Marketing MaterialsBookNet strongly recommends that anyone using the Bronze Template without access to the support of an ONIX program through another firm such as their distributor or who has access to such support but isn't feeding enhanced marketing information into it, should seriously consider its benefits. It can affect sales and consumers expect it. The basics remain the same: title, author and price combined with a good cover, supported by interesting descriptions about the book and author, and timely updates - only now it's not just the new books but the whole list that needs it. Contact us at biblio@booknetcanada.ca for more information. |
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Biblio Tools - The Snapshot
To make sure that your trading partners can use your ONIX files properly, you need to be sending valid files. That means checking your file against a set of rules called a schema. While schema validation sounds scary and hard, it’s quick and easy once you know what you’re doing. To get started, check out:
There are a number of firms that provide support to publishers for ONIX, and a variety of ways that publishers can produce a good quality ONIX file. BookNet Canada will provide certification of software to a limited extent -- largely by ensuring it can support a full range of elements for North America and that publishers are creating files using that software.
• A DIY Guide to Schema Validation on a PC
Contact us at biblio@booknetcanada.ca with any questions or concerns.