Virtual International Authority File
Encyclopedia
The Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) is an international authority file. It is a joint project of several national libraries and operated by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). The project was initiated by the German National Library
and the Library of Congress
.
The aim is to link the national authority files (such as the German Name Authority File) to a single virtual authority file. Here, the data sets together and identical records in a concordance file link. A VIAF record receives a standard data number, contains the schedules from the records of the files involved and refers to the original authority records. The data are made available online and are available for research, data exchange and data sharing are available. To update the data sets the OAI protocol is the Open Archives Initiative
uses.
German National Library
The German National Library is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany...
and the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
The aim is to link the national authority files (such as the German Name Authority File) to a single virtual authority file. Here, the data sets together and identical records in a concordance file link. A VIAF record receives a standard data number, contains the schedules from the records of the files involved and refers to the original authority records. The data are made available online and are available for research, data exchange and data sharing are available. To update the data sets the OAI protocol is the Open Archives Initiative
Open Archives Initiative
The Open Archives Initiative is an attempt to build a "low-barrier interoperability framework" for archives containing digital content . It allows people to harvest metadata...
uses.
Participating libraries
- Bibliotheca AlexandrinaBibliotheca AlexandrinaThe Bibliotheca Alexandrina or Maktabat al-Iskandarīyah is a major library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria...
- National Library of AustraliaNational Library of AustraliaThe National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
- Bibliothèque nationale de FranceBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
- Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
- National Library of Israel
- Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo UnicoIstituto Centrale per il Catalogo UnicoThe Istituto centrale per il catalogo unico is an Italian government agency that was created in 1975 to supersede the Centro nazionale per il catalogo unico , that had in turn been created in 1951 to build a single catalog of all the libraries in the...
- Biblioteca Nacional de PortugalBiblioteca Nacional de PortugalThe ' is the Portuguese national library, fulfilling the function of legal deposit and copyright.-External links:*...
- Kungliga Biblioteket
- Swiss National LibrarySwiss National LibraryThe Swiss National Library is the national library of Switzerland. It is part of the Federal Office of Culture. Under the terms of the law which governs it, it is charged with collecting, cataloging and conserving information in all fields and disciplines, and in any medium, connected with...
- Biblioteca Nacional de EspañaBiblioteca Nacional de EspañaThe Biblioteca Nacional de España is a major public library, the largest in Spain.It is located in Madrid, on the Paseo de Recoletos.-History:...
- National Library of the Czech Republic
- Getty Research InstituteGetty Research InstituteThe Getty Research Institute , located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, is "dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts". A program of the J...
- Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
- Vatican LibraryVatican LibraryThe Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...