---
title: "ER Model: DNB Catalogue (Book)"
subtitle: "Linked Open Exhibition"
description: "A unified data model for exhibition catalogues aligned with CIDOC CRM, Wikibase4Research, and Wikidata standards"
date: today
---

## Overview

This data model provides a standardized schema for describing exhibition catalogues and bibliographic information within the Linked Open Exhibition ecosystem. It is aligned with three major sector standards:

- **CIDOC CRM** (Conceptual Reference Model) v7.1.3
- **Wikibase4Research** (WB4R) - NFDI4Culture platform
- **Wikidata** - WikiProject Books

## Quick Reference: Schema Mappings

| Field | Wikidata | CIDOC CRM | Wikibase4Research |
|-------|----------|-----------|-------------------|
| **Instance of** | P31 (catalogue) | crm:P2_has_type | instance_of |
| **Title** | P1476 | E35_Title | title |
| **Author** | P50 | E39_Actor | author |
| **Publisher** | P123 | E39_Actor | publisher |
| **Publication Date** | P577 | E52_Time-Span | publication_date |
| **ISBN-13** | P212 | E42_Identifier | not found |
| **GND** | P227 | E42_Identifier | gnd |
| **Described at URL** | P973 | E42_Identifier | reference_url |
| **Image** | P18 | E36_Visual_Item | digital_object |

---

## Example: Winckelmann's History of Ancient Art (1764)

**Title:** Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums (History of Ancient Art)  
**Author:** Johann Joachim Winckelmann (Q104039)  
**Publisher:** C. A. Koch, Dresden  
**Publication Date:** 1764  
**ISBN-13:** Not applicable (18th century publication)  
**GND:** 118634941  
**Catalogue URL:** https://www.dnb.de/DE/Professionell/Metadatendienste/metadatendienste_node.html  
**Catalogue Image:** [Winckelmann's portrait - Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Johann_Joachim_Winckelmann)  
**Reference:** [Wikibase Item Q5377317]

---

## Data Structure

### 1. Instance of Catalogue

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Instanziierung (?) ist eine... |
| **English Label** | Instance of |
| **Description** | The item itself is classified as a catalogue |
| **Data Type** | Item |
| **Wikidata Property** | P31 |
| **Recommended Value** | Q2352616 (Catalogue) |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P31:Q2352616` | Instance of catalogue |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `crm:P2_has_type` | Type classification |
| **WB4R** | `instance_of` | Instance type in Wikibase4Research |

---

### 2. Title

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Titel |
| **English Label** | Title |
| **Description** | Official title of the catalogue |
| **Data Type** | Monolingual text |
| **Wikidata Property** | P1476 |
| **Example** | "Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting" |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P1476` | Title of the catalogue |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E35_Title` | Title entity defining the resource |
| **WB4R** | `title` | Title property in WB4R |

---

### 3. Author

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Autor |
| **English Label** | Author |
| **Description** | Main curator or art historian responsible for the catalogue |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to person) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P50 |
| **Note** | Link to existing Wikidata person item |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P50` | Author of catalogue |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E39_Actor` | Person responsible for resource |
| **WB4R** | `author` | Author property in WB4R |

---

### 4. Publisher

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Verleger |
| **English Label** | Publisher |
| **Description** | Museum, publishing house, or institution publishing the catalogue |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to organization) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P123 |
| **Examples** | Louvre Museum, Sprengel Museum Hannover, etc. |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P123` | Publisher of catalogue |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E39_Actor` | Organization responsible for publication |
| **WB4R** | `publisher` | Publisher property in WB4R |

---

### 5. Publication Date

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Erscheinungsdatum |
| **English Label** | Publication date |
| **Description** | Year or date when the catalogue was published |
| **Data Type** | Item (date/year) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P577 |
| **Format** | YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P577` | Publication date |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E52_Time-Span` | Time span of publication |
| **WB4R** | `publication_date` | Publication date in WB4R |

---

### 6. ISBN-13

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Internationale Standardbuchnummer/ ISB-Nummer |
| **English Label** | ISBN-13 |
| **Description** | 13-digit International Standard Book Number |
| **Data Type** | External Identifier |
| **Wikidata Property** | P212 |
| **Format** | 13 digits (e.g., 978-2-7118-7123-4) |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P212` | ISBN-13 identifier |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E42_Identifier` | Standard identifier |
| **WB4R** | `not found` | No WB4R mapping available |

---

### 7. GND

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | GND-Kennung |
| **English Label** | GND |
| **Description** | German National Library (DNB) identifier |
| **Data Type** | External Identifier |
| **Wikidata Property** | P227 |
| **Format** | Numeric or alphanumeric GND identifier |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P227` | GND identifier |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E42_Identifier` | Standard identifier |
| **WB4R** | `gnd` | GND property in WB4R |

---

### 8. Described at URL

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | offizielle Webseite |
| **English Label** | Described at URL |
| **Description** | Link to the catalogue's page on the museum's website |
| **Data Type** | URL |
| **Wikidata Property** | P973 |
| **Format** | https://... |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P973` | Described at URL |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E42_Identifier` | Digital location identifier |
| **WB4R** | `reference_url` | Reference URL in WB4R |

---

### 9. Image

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Bild |
| **English Label** | Image |
| **Description** | Cover image or representative image of the catalogue |
| **Data Type** | Commons media file |
| **Wikidata Property** | P18 |
| **Format** | Wikimedia Commons filename |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P18` | Image of catalogue |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E36_Visual_Item` | Visual representation |
| **WB4R** | `digital_object` | Digital object in WB4R |

---

## Best Practices for Catalogue Records

1. **Use Wikidata Items**: Always link to existing Wikidata items for authors (P50), publishers (P123), and organizations to enable cross-institutional discovery.

2. **ISBN Validation**: Ensure ISBN-13 numbers are valid according to the standard checksum algorithm. Use the format with hyphens (978-X-XXXX-XXXX-X) for readability.

3. **GND Integration**: Cross-reference GND identifiers from the German National Library to enhance discoverability within German cultural heritage networks.

4. **Publication Dates**: Use ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD) where precise dates are available, or just YYYY for year-only precision.

5. **Multilingual Titles**: Where catalogues are published in multiple languages, create additional title entries using monolingual text or language-qualified items.

6. **Cover Images**: Upload catalogue cover images to Wikimedia Commons (P18) to provide visual context and enhance accessibility.

7. **URL Persistence**: Prefer institutional persistent URLs (with DOI or similar) over temporary web links when available to ensure long-term reference stability.

---

## Related Standards & References

- [CIDOC CRM v7.1.3](https://cidoc-crm.org/html/cidoc_crm_v7.1.3.html) - Formal ontology standard for cultural heritage
- [Wikibase4Research (WB4R)](https://gitlab.com/nfdi4culture/wikibase4research/model) - NFDI4Culture platform implementation
- [Wikidata WikiProject Books](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Books) - Community guidelines for bibliographic properties
- [German National Library (DNB)](https://www.dnb.de/) - Primary source for GND identifiers
- [ISBN Standard](https://www.isbn-international.org/) - ISBN-13 validation and format standards
- [Linked Open Exhibition Project](https://github.com/NFDI4Culture/linked-open-exhibition) - Project repository

---

## Contact & Contributions

For updates to this data model or suggestions for improvement, please contact the NFDI4Culture Linked Open Exhibition project team or contribute via [GitHub](https://github.com/NFDI4Culture/linked-open-exhibition).

---

## Attribution

This data model documentation was created with assistance from **GitHub Copilot** (powered by Claude Haiku 4.5). The model was aligned against sector standards including CIDOC CRM v7.1.3, Wikibase4Research, and Wikidata WikiProject Books guidelines through AI-assisted analysis and formatting.