All current BibClass documentation is at http://www.dlxs.org/docs/13/class/bib/.
BibClass was not intended to replace robust, large-scale bibliographic systems like the library catalog, but to accomplish resource discovery across a large body of bibliographic information managed outside of large integrated library systems.
It was built for succinctness and simplicity, and also is quite flexible in terms of how existing bibliographic structures can be mapped to it. Elements can be used to accommodate outlying existing elements by re-arranging the map file.
Some tools that may be helpful when prepping and indexing data for BibClass:
The current DTD lives at http://www.dlxs.org/docs/13/class/bib/bib.dtd. The following is a brief overview of the BibClass DTD elements using a sample University of Michigan collection record.
<BIBDB><GROUP><COLL>umr</COLL>
<A A="A" ID="AAB8128" DT="2000-08-22">
<B> <K>Factors affecting innovation in water quality management: implementation of the 1968 Michigan clean water bond issue; / by Steven L. Yaffee [and] Jonathan W. Bulkley.</K> <L>Yaffee, Steven L.</L> <L>Bulkley, Jonathan W., joint author.</L> </B>
<D>xii, 233 p. ; illus. ; 28 cm.</D>
<E> <U>Ann Arbor,</U> <T>University of Michigan,</T> <YR>1973.</YR> <W A="NOTIS">AAB8128</W> <W A="CALLNO">UMR4246</W> <X>These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Please contact umdl-info@umich.edu for more information.</X> </E>
<G> <AA>Completion report. OWRR project no. A-054-MICH, grant no. 14-31-0001-3522.</AA> <AA>Thesis (M.A.)--University of Michigan.</AA> <AA>Bibliography: p. 226-233.</AA> </G>
<I2><SG> <SU A="1">Water quality management -- Michigan.</SU> <SU A="1">Water quality management -- Costs -- Michigan</SU> </SG></I2>
<J> <URL>http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=umr&idno=AAB8128.0001.001</URL> </J>
<FMT>sgml</FMT> <LANG>eng</LANG> <TYPE>text</TYPE>
Other important elements not listed in the sample record include the <F> (series statement) and <H> (source description) elements.
The components, URL parameters, modules and templates for BibClass follow the release 11a model. They have not yet been updated to XML/XSL. For information on how to use any of these pieces of BibClass, contact the DLXS programmers. We expect to update BibClass to a database-driven platform this coming year.
This graphic may prove useful in the meantime: BibClassFlow.gif.