All current BibClass documentation is at http://docs.dlxs.org/class/bib/bib-index.xml and will be updated after the workshop based on feedback we get from it.
BibClass was not intended to replace robust, large-scale bibliographic systems like the library catalog, but to accomplish resource discovery across a large body of bibliographic information managed outside of large integrated library systems.
It was built for succinctness and simplicity, and also is quite flexible in terms of how existing bibliographic structures can be mapped to it. Elements can be used to accommodate outlying existing elements by re-arranging the map file.
The current DTD lives at http://docs.dlxs.org/class/bib/bib.dtd. The following is a brief overview of the BibClass DTD elements using a sample University of Michigan collection record.
<BIBDB><GROUP><COLL>umr</COLL>
<A A="A" ID="AAB8128" DT="2000-08-22">
<B> <K>Factors affecting innovation in water quality management: implementation of the 1968 Michigan clean water bond issue; / by Steven L. Yaffee [and] Jonathan W. Bulkley.</K> <L>Yaffee, Steven L.</L> <L>Bulkley, Jonathan W., joint author.</L> </B>
<D>xii, 233 p. ; illus. ; 28 cm.</D>
<E> <U>Ann Arbor,</U> <T>University of Michigan,</T> <YR>1973.</YR> <W A="NOTIS">AAB8128</W> <W A="CALLNO">UMR4246</W> <X>These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Please contact umdl-info@umich.edu for more information.</X> </E>
<G> <AA>Completion report. OWRR project no. A-054-MICH, grant no. 14-31-0001-3522.</AA> <AA>Thesis (M.A.)--University of Michigan.</AA> <AA>Bibliography: p. 226-233.</AA> </G>
<I2><SG> <SU A="1">Water quality management -- Michigan.</SU> <SU A="1">Water quality management -- Costs -- Michigan</SU> </SG></I2>
<J> <URL>http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=umr&idno=AAB8128.0001.001</URL> </J>
<FMT>sgml</FMT> <LANG>eng</LANG> <TYPE>text</TYPE>
Other important elements not listed in the sample record include the <F> (series statement) and <H> (source description) elements.
For those interested in the hierarchy of BibClass, we've put together a hierarchical cheat sheet of sorts, which will be better updated after the workshop.
And, for indexing BibClass data, you may want to use our "cookbook," which currently is (quite) University of Michigan specific, but will also be updated after the workshop.