British National Bibliography

API

Authoritative UK book metadata from the British National Bibliography

Overview

The British National Bibliography API offers RESTful access to comprehensive bibliographic records for UK-published books and serials. Endpoints support searches by ISBN, title, author, or subject, returning structured JSON/JSON-LD responses with details like publication dates, publisher info, subject classifications, ISBNs, and linked data identifiers. Ideal for library systems, book discovery platforms, academic research tools, or metadata enrichment projects needing trusted UK book data.

Example Integration (JavaScript)

script.js JS


fetch('http://bnb.data.bl.uk/')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Key Features

RESTful API
JSON/JSON-LD support
No authentication required
Comprehensive UK book metadata
Multiple search parameters

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is the British National Bibliography API free to use?

Yes, the API provides free access to public domain UK bibliographic data for both non-commercial and commercial use (subject to terms of service).

? Does it require an API Key?

No, the API does not require authentication or an API key for basic search and metadata access.

? What is the response format?

The API supports JSON and JSON-LD (linked data) response formats for bibliographic records.

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Tool Info

Pricing Free

Category Books

Platform Public API

Pros

⊕ Free access to authoritative data
⊕ Rich metadata fields
⊕ Linked data integration
⊕ Covers UK-published materials

Cons

⊖ Rate limits for bulk requests
⊖ Limited to UK content
⊖ Linked data learning curve for advanced use