Skip to content
BIC Logo
  • AboutExpand
    • About BIC
    • BIC Strategy
    • BIC Board of Directors
    • Press Releases
  • MembershipExpand
    • Reasons for joining BIC
    • Member Endorsements
    • How to join BIC
    • Members and Supporters
    • BIC UK National GroupsExpand
      • BIC UK Thema National Group
      • BIC UK ONIX National Group
    • Review GroupsExpand
      • BIC Library Communication Framework (LCF) Review Group
      • BIC Realtime for Libraries Review Group
    • Strategic Committees
    • Technical Clinics
  • ProjectsExpand
    • BIC Project Participation
    • Live Projects
    • Upcoming Projects
  • Training & EventsExpand
    • Calendar
    • BIC Training CoursesExpand
      • BIC Training Courses – An Overview
      • Library Training
      • Production
      • Metadata & Technical
      • Feedback on our Training
      • BIC Trainers
      • BIC Course Cancellations and Refund Policy
    • London Book Fair Hub
    • Past Events Archive
  • Resource CentreExpand
    • Welcome to the BIC Resource Centre
    • Accessibility Hub
    • BIC: In Practice
    • BIC Bites
    • Best Practice
    • Standards
    • Metadata Capabilities Directory
    • Reports and Advisories
    • BIC Green Hub
  • AccreditationsExpand
    • Accreditations Overview
    • BIC’s Metadata Excellence Award – MEA
    • BIC’s Supply Chain Excellence Award – SCEA
    • BIC’s Technology Excellence in Libraries Award
  • BIC Blog
BIC Logo

Metadata
Capabilities
Directory

Powered by BIC Members
Start your MCD submission Need to edit your submission? Live MCD Information

What is the MCD?

The Metadata Capabilities Directory (MCD) is a vital free facility provided by BIC that enables supply chain partners to share key metadata activity with each other.

The Directory is a secure database of survey responses from a wide range of organisations and by contributing to it participants are able to benchmark their own actions and identify potential improvements to their metadata systems and processes.

Get started with the MCD

Join the many organisations who already use the MCD

  • Scholastic logo
    • The MCD is an important step toward providing greater transparency and insight into the supply chain for metadata in the UK book industry.
      Howard Willows
      Senior Manager, Data Development, Nielsen Book
    • Participating in the Metadata Capabilities Directory is the single most impactful action Independent Booksellers can take to influence this most critical of tools (product metadata).
      Antonia Squire
      Proprietor, The Bookshop, Bridport
    • …very helpful survey, especially for those with older legacy systems.
      Matthew Hogg
      Director of Publisher & Customer Services, Macmillan Distribution (MDL)
    • …a great overview of metadata practice in the industry as a whole and will become increasingly valuable with each new organisation that joins.
      Martin Klopstock
      Digital and Operations Director, Kogan Page Ltd.
    • A fantastic opportunity for the book supply chain to understand the flow of data, the relevance of specific information, and the way in which that data is used.
      Simon Pallant
      Digital and IT Services Manager, Gardeners

    How will you benefit from your contribution?

    • Increased intelligence of how other contributing organisations supply/use metadata.
    • Improved visibility, discovery and representation of products within the supply chain.
    • Increased efficiency of metadata supply chain resources.

    For more details click on the button below.

    Download Benefits for Contributors Summary

    Contributors will be able to benchmark their own metadata capabilities against the whole supply chain, against other relevant organisations and against the needs of their supply chain and trading partners.

    The MCD can be used to identify:

    • Metadata gaps – Product characteristics that could be supplied/accepted but are not.
    • Data transformation – Where data quality changes as it moves through the supply chain.
    • Development potential – Opportunities to improve product data clarity.

    How can I join?

    You can join the MCD by completing our MCD Survey, whereby you will be making a full contribution to the Directory.

    There is no cost and it is only available to organisations that are BIC members.

    You will join a growing group of organisations from across the UK’s book metadata supply chain that are providing information to the MCD about their metadata activities.

    Live information from MCD contributions
    as from November 2021 to

    Data is generated directly from the MCD on a monthly basis.

    Contributing Organisations

    28 %

    Only SUPPLY
    Metadata

    43%

    RECEIVE and SUPPLY
    Metadata

    29%

    Only RECEIVE
    Metadata

  • Keeping the MCD current

    When your contribution has been approved the authorised individual in your organisation will be provided with secure, read-only access to the Directory, enabling a view of all survey responses from all other participating organisations.

    You are encouraged to review and selectively update your own submission regularly to ensure that the MCD continues to represent your present status.

    How do I update
    my submission?

    If you need to update your MCD submission to make a correction or provide the latest information then please follow the link that was emailed to you after making your initial submission. If you have lost this link then please contact us.

    Terms of Reference | Benefit Statement for Contributors | Code of Practice for Participants

    BlueskyLinkedin YouTube

    Useful links

    • Jobs
    • Contact us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Sign up to our mailing lists
    • Find your local bookshop
    • Sitemap

    This website is hosted by Kinsta, running on 100% renewable energy.

    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Notice
    • Cookie Policy (UK)
    • BIC Competition Law Policy

    © 2025 Book Industry Communication.

    Book Industry Communication is a company registered in England and Wales. Company number: 2589185. VAT registration number: 589 6348 71. Registered office: 4 Aztec Row, Berners Road, London, N1 0PW.

    Manage Cookie Consent
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    • Manage options
    • Manage services
    • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
    • Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    • {title}
    • {title}
    • {title}
    Scroll to top
    • About
      • About BIC
      • BIC Strategy
      • BIC Board of Directors
      • Press Releases
    • Membership
      • Reasons for joining BIC
      • Member Endorsements
      • How to join BIC
      • Members and Supporters
      • BIC UK National Groups
        • BIC UK Thema National Group
        • BIC UK ONIX National Group
      • Review Groups
        • BIC Library Communication Framework (LCF) Review Group
        • BIC Realtime for Libraries Review Group
      • Strategic Committees
      • Technical Clinics
    • Projects
      • BIC Project Participation
      • Live Projects
      • Upcoming Projects
    • Training & Events
      • Calendar
      • BIC Training Courses
        • BIC Training Courses – An Overview
        • Library Training
        • Production
        • Metadata & Technical
        • Feedback on our Training
        • BIC Trainers
        • BIC Course Cancellations and Refund Policy
      • London Book Fair Hub
      • Past Events Archive
    • Resource Centre
      • Welcome to the BIC Resource Centre
      • Accessibility Hub
      • BIC: In Practice
      • BIC Bites
      • Best Practice
      • Standards
      • Metadata Capabilities Directory
      • Reports and Advisories
      • BIC Green Hub
    • Accreditations
      • Accreditations Overview
      • BIC’s Metadata Excellence Award – MEA
      • BIC’s Supply Chain Excellence Award – SCEA
      • BIC’s Technology Excellence in Libraries Award
    • BIC Blog
    Search