BookDROP is a standard developed by BISG to enable the discovery, browsing, searching, and distribution of online book content. It allows publishers to manage the quality and availability of their digital content and defines HTTP transactions between a publisher's digital archive and syndication partners' websites. BookDROP was originally developed by AAP and involved participation from many industry players. It supports various use cases related to searching, browsing, and viewing book content and was finalized in June 2008 after prototyping.

1. Discovering online book content:
BISG’s BookDROP
ALA Chicago, July 10 2009
Michael Healy, Executive Director, Book Industry Study Group

2. What are the goals of BookDROP?
 To enable online book content to be discovered,
browsed, searched and distributed in a standardized
way
 To allow publishers to manage the quality and
availability of their content
 To achieve these objectives using defined HTTP
transactions between a publisher’s digital archive
and the websites of their syndication partners

3. How was BookDROP developed?
 Work started by the Association of American
Publishers’ Digital Issues Working Group
 Project Brief and Preliminary Requirements were
developed by AAP
 Work transferred to BISG in July 2007
 BISG Digital Standards Committee established
 Wide industry participation: booksellers, search
engines, etc.

4. Who helped create BookDROP?
• AAP • McGraw-Hill
• ABA • Metacomet Systems
• Barnes & Noble • Microsoft
• BookNet Canada • NACS
• Bridgeport National Bindery
• O’Reilly Media
• CBA International
• Oxford University Press
• Copyright Clearance Center
• • Pearson
Digital Library Federation
• Google • Penguin Group
• GS1 • Quality Solutions
• Hachette Book Group • R.R. Bowker
• Harcourt • Random House
• HarperCollins • Simon & Schuster
• IDPF • Workman Publishing

5. The use cases supported
 Get number of phrase  Enumerate book text
matches in Archive  Browse by context pages
 Search Archive for phrase
 Browse by sample pages
 Search Book for phrase
 Get full-page media
 Enumerate Archive
 Get thumbnail media
 Enumerate book  Get highlighted page media
information
 Enumerate book page
images
 Enumerate ONIX
information

6. Development schedule
 Technical specification finalized - June 2008
 Prototyping: July-August 2008
 Prototyping partners: publishers, syndication
partners, and digital repositories
 BISG Board of Directors approval: September 2008
 Standard published: December 2008

7. Further information
 www.bisg.org/committees/digitalstandards.html
 Briefing document
 Requirements specification
 Technical specification

8. Thank you.
Michael Healy
michael@bisg.org
646 336 7141