Knowledge Bases And Related Tools (KBART)
KBART (“Knowledge Bases and Related Tools”) is a NISO Recommended Practice that facilitates the transfer of holdings metadata from content providers to knowledge base suppliers and libraries. Knowledge bases are widely used to support library link resolvers and electronic resource management systems.
The original 2010 Recommended Practice focused on journals; the Phase II revisions published in 2014 addressed more granular, complex issues that cause problems in metadata supply, including metadata transfer specific to consortia, open access publications, and e-books and conference proceedings. The KBART Automation Recommended Practice was published in 2019; it supports the timely exchange of accurate, library-specific KBART-formatted holdings reports between content providers’ access control systems and knowledge bases, allowing knowledge base-powered systems to more accurately reflect content accessible at a particular institution and its unique holdings, with little interaction or ongoing maintenance from library staff. It facilitates the automatic transfer and retrieval of holdings data between content providers and institutional knowledge bases, with the goal of automatically and regularly updating institutional holdings via an API.
Phase III, initiated in December 2019, seeks to improve support for additional content types and global content, clarify endorsement procedures, and provide more examples and structure for implementing KBART.
NISO values the participation of all types of stakeholders in developing and implementing KBART. The following are some suggested ways of getting involved:
- KBART Registry: List of contact information for content providers and knowledge base suppliers with indication of KBART-endorsed organizations
- KBART Endorsement: Why and how to seek KBART Endorsement
- kbart@niso.org: Contact the NISO KBART Standing Committee with questions or to volunteer