BIC ONIX: Essentials Plus Training Course - April 2026 - Book Industry Communication

BIC ONIX: Essentials Plus Training Course - April 2026 - Book Industry Communication
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BIC ONIX: Essentials Plus Training Course – April 2026
April 21 @ 1:00 pm
-
April 23 @ 5:30 pm
BST
This online course introduces the ONIX standard and the essentials of producing, managing & distributing good book metadata.
This online course introduces the ONIX standard and the essentials of producing, managing & distributing good book metadata.
BIC ONIX: Essentials Plus training course
#bictraining
Purpose of the Course
This intensive course (provided as an online course in three, half-day training sessions) introduces the ONIX standard and the essentials of producing, managing, and distributing good book metadata. It mixes the background and theory of metadata with real-world practice and guidance in an approachable but authoritative way.
This course has been extended from two to three afternoons to allow the inclusion of additional data elements relating to digital products, open access, audio material and chapter-level metadata, plus extra time for discussion.
Benefits of Attending
Delegates will be provided with all the vital information to understand the basics of ONIX and how it is used in the book industry.
Course Level
This course is suitable for beginners with no knowledge of ONIX, although it will also be of value to those already familiar with ONIX. It is aimed at staff with management responsibility for metadata, either in editorial, IT, marketing, or production within a publisher, or in similar roles within distribution and retailing. It is not highly technical, but software developers seeking to understand ONIX would benefit from this course.
Course Outline
The overall content is as follows:
1) Introduction:
Some of this introduction is pre-recorded, for viewing before the training.
Explanation of what ONIX is, with typical use cases
Brief history of ONIX and its governance
Brief overview of the other ONIX standards, e.g., for ONIX serials, ONIX for transactional messages, etc.
2) More Detail:
Overview of the different versions of ONIX, i.e., 2.1 vs 3.0
More detail on ONIX for Books 3.0
Business benefits of: using ONIX; the BIC Metadata Excellence Award (MEA) Accreditation Scheme
Introduction to XML syntax
Semantics and code lists
ONIX for Books data feeds and best practice
3) Key Data Elements:
Record reference
Product identifiers
Product form and detail
Digital products (including audiobooks)
Accessibility
Usage restrictions and licensing
Open access
Contributors
XHTML encoding of rich text
Titles
Sets, series, or collections
Subject codes (BISAC, Thema, CBMC, etc.)
Keywords
Descriptive text and other collateral material
Chapter-level metadata
Imprint and publisher
Publication date and sales embargo
Territorial sales rights
Non-territorial sales restrictions
Related works and products
Publishing status and availability
Simple markets
Supply details and pricing
Free of charge products
General product safety
4) Best Practice Guidelines
Where to look for further information
The Trainers
Graham Bell
Executive Director,
EDItEUR
Graham is Executive Director of EDItEUR, and is responsible for the overall development of EDItEUR’s standards and the management services it provides on behalf of other standards organisations (ISNI International Agency and the International DOI Foundation). He joined EDItEUR as its Chief Data Architect in 2010, focusing on the continuing development and application of ONIX for Books,
Thema
, EDItX and on other EDItEUR standards for the global books and serials sectors.
Graham is an experienced trainer and speaker. He previously worked for HarperCollins Publishers in the UK, where most recently he was Head of Publishing Systems.
Chris Saynor
Standards Editor,
EDItEUR
Chris is responsible for EDItEUR’s book publishing standards including ONIX,
Thema
and EDItX. He joined the organisation in late 2016. For the previous eight years, Chris worked for GiantChair Inc. in Paris as a metadata specialist and project manager and has been responsible for implementation of the Onixsuite application in many publishing organisations. He is widely known for his work with French industry liaison body CLIL and with BISG committees. Prior to that, Chris has a 20-year background in bookselling with Waterstones and WHSmith.
Feedback for this Course
“The course was excellent – no improvement required for the content of the course at all.” –
Huw Alexander, SAGE Publications
“The course was very well structured and thorough. The trainer explained everything in detail and with clear examples. Plenty of opportunities for discussion and questions.” –
Nia Beynon, Faber & Faber
Dates of this Course
Tues 21st – Thurs 23rd April 2026 – afternoons only.
Bespoke and In-House Training
BIC is committed to providing high quality, accessible training for the book industry. We are able to provide both bespoke courses and in-house training to suit your requirements. This course is suitable for in-house training so please do contact us to request further information or to make a booking: info@bic.org.uk
Course Location
This course will be held online via the GoToMeetings platform. Full log in instructions will be given to trainees one week ahead of the course start date.
Course Length
This is a 1.5-day course which will be delivered in three, half-day training sessions, 1.00pm – 5.30pm (UK) on the three dates specified, above.
Prices
BIC & EDItEUR Members £485.00 + VAT
Friends of BIC £575.00 + VAT
Non-Members £660.00 + VAT
Please note: the price does not include the Eventbrite processing fee
Discounted rates apply to BIC and EDItEUR members only.
Check BIC Membership
and/or
EDItEUR membership
Additional discount available:
Please note that any individual who registers, at the same time, to attend both the BIC’s Advanced ONIX Course and this ONIX: Essentials Plus training course will be eligible to receive a £100 discount on the combined cost of their tickets. This offer is open to BIC & EDItEUR Members, Friends of BIC and Non-Members. Contact BIC info@bic.org.uk for further information and to receive your discount code (prior to booking your place); tickets purchased using this discount code will not be transferrable within your organisation. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other or discount code.
Alternative Payment Option:
If you would prefer BIC to invoice your organisation directly, please contact us: info@bic.org.uk. Please note that this process will incur a £25.00 administration fee.
BIC Training Courses
Created by the book industry, for the book industry
For an empowered, informed supply chain
Established in 1991, BIC is an independent, not-for-profit organisation at the heart of the UK book industry. We pride ourselves on working collaboratively with key stakeholders in the industry to produce quality training courses that are created and delivered by expert, highly respected trainers on a wide range of supply chain topics. Being a not-for-profit organisation, BIC is able to offer all of its training at highly competitive rates. If there is a topic that you would like us to provide training on, that we do not provide at present, get in touch; we also welcome enquires about the provision of bespoke in-house courses.
Cancellations by BIC
Please note
: as we price our training courses so competitively, the running of them is dependent on there being a set minimum number of delegates registered by the time the booking period ceases. For this reason, please be aware that unfortunately some courses may be cancelled if this requirement is not met. Should this happen, BIC will arrange for full refunds for all training courses booked. We will liaise with registered delegates at least 2 weeks prior to each course date regarding this.
Refund Policy
Please take a few moments to familiarise yourself with our refund policy.
Should you need to cancel your ticket, refunds may be given as follows:
Up to 6 calendar weeks (i.e. 42 calendar days) before the event:
full refund minus Eventbrite fee
Less than 6 calendar weeks, but more than 2 calendar weeks (i.e. 14 days) before the event:
50% refund
Less than 2 calendar weeks before the event:
no refund
If you (or a colleague in your place) do not attend the training course you have booked, no refund will be given.
Please note: Tickets
are
transferable within your organisation.
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Details
Start:
April 21 @ 1:00 pm
BST
End:
April 23 @ 5:30 pm
BST
Website:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bic-onix-essentials-plus-training-course-april-2026-tickets-1980556363398
Organiser
Book Industry Communication Ltd
View Organiser Website
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