Exchange/Interchange Communication Format

Exchange formats are also known as interchange/communication formats. Exchange formats are used for exchange of records between systems. Systems should be sufficiently flexible to cope with the needs of many different software system. Ideally, they should facilitate the exchange of data which are to be used in wide range of different bibliographic application, from the production of traditional catalogue cards to records in databases which are used for online access/Internet access. A major problem for designers of exchange format is the lack of international agreement on standards for constructing bibliographic records. Although ISBD is available, but it is not accepted by many organizations.