Documentation

Welcome to the MARC Cooperative documentation. Here you'll find everything you need to use the Cooperative effectively, whether you're browsing for records, contributing new data, or integrating with our API.

Getting Started

Browsing Records

The MARC Cooperative is open to everyone. You can search and browse our entire catalog without creating an account:

  • Search - Use the search bar to find works by title, author, ISBN, or subject
  • Browse - Explore our catalog by browsing recent additions
  • Download - Get records in MARC21, MARCXML, or JSON format

Creating an Account

To contribute records or propose edits, you'll need a free Contributor account. Registration takes just a moment and gives you access to:

  • Submit new records to the Cooperative
  • Propose improvements to existing records
  • Participate in discussions and reviews
  • Track your contribution history

Using the API

The MARC Cooperative provides a free, public API for programmatic access to our bibliographic data. All data is available under the CC0 Public Domain Dedication.

Base URL

https://api.coop.okmarc.app/v1

Key Endpoints

Endpoint Description GET /v1/works List all works (paginated) GET /v1/works/:id Get a single work with its primary record GET /v1/works/search?q= Search works by title, author, or keyword GET /v1/works/lookup?isbn= Look up a work by ISBN, LCCN, or OCLC number GET /v1/records/:id Get a single MARC record in JSON format GET /v1/records/:id/marc21 Download MARC21 binary (.mrc) GET /v1/records/:id/marcxml Download MARCXML (.xml)

Interactive API Reference

For complete API documentation with request/response examples, visit our interactive API reference powered by Swagger UI.

Rate Limits

The API is rate limited to ensure fair access for all users:

  • Anonymous requests: 100 requests per minute
  • With API key: 1,000 requests per minute (coming soon)

Data Formats

MARC JSON

Our primary format is MARC-in-JSON, which represents MARC records as structured JSON objects. This format is easy to work with in modern programming languages while preserving all MARC field and subfield data.

MARC21 Binary

Traditional MARC21 binary format (.mrc) is available for compatibility with legacy ILS systems and cataloging tools. Download individual records or request bulk exports.

MARCXML

MARCXML format (.xml) provides a standardized XML representation of MARC records, useful for XML-based workflows and XSLT transformations.

Licensing

All bibliographic data in the MARC Cooperative is released under the CC0 Public Domain Dedication. This means you can:

  • Use the data for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial
  • Modify and redistribute the data without restriction
  • Use the data without attribution (though we appreciate it!)

Need Help?

If you have questions or run into issues:

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