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NYPL Policy on Open Bibliographic Metadata

The New York Public Library ("NYPL") is committed to making its bibliographic metadata records as broadly available as possible to support scholarship, research and to promote innovative uses of these records. Due to contractual and rights concerns, NYPL is not able, at this time, to provide access to all of its bibliographic metadata records.

In furtherance of NYPL's goal of open access, NYPL has identified certain of its bibliographic metadata records that can immediately be made available through its Repository API (the "Metadata Records"). The Metadata Records pertain to selected works that can be found on NYPL's websites.

To the extent that NYPL has a copyright interest in the Metadata Records, a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication will apply. Before using the Repository API, NYPL requests that you review and act in accordance with the following NYPL community norms with respect to your use of the Metadata Records:

1) NYPL requests that you give attribution to NYPL, the OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., and the Library of Congress as sources of the Metadata Records, to the extent it is technologically feasible to do so.

2) NYPL requests that you provide the Metadata Records and any improvements thereto freely available on the same terms as NYPL has done. Specifically, NYPL requests that you do not claim any legal right in or impose any legally binding conditions on the Metadata Records or your improvements. NYPL asks that you request that your end users also review and act in accordance with these community norms.

3) With respect to Metadata Records consisting of or contained in records NYPL has obtained from the OCLC WorldCat database, NYPL requests that you respect and act in accordance with the community norms set forth in the WorldCat Rights and Responsibilities for the OCLC Cooperative. Use of metadata from the WorldCat database for study and research is consistent with those norms, but if you plan to use such Metadata Records for other purposes, whether or not you are an OCLC member, NYPL asks that you review and act in accordance with those norms and requests that your end users also do the same.

By observing these community norms, you will be helping to promote good practices, foster trust among partners, and encourage growth of the open metadata community. Please make sure to read the full NYPL Repository API Terms and Conditions of Use.

Last Revised: 3/2013