Multilingual Entity File (MEF)

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class="d-block h5">Multilingual Entity File (MEF)</span> <span class="d-block small">API for entities in multiple languages</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="col-12 col-sm-6"> <a href="/en/produits/other" class="list-group-item list-group-item-action border-0 d-flex align-items-center p-0 py-3 px-lg-4"> <div class="w-100"> <span class="d-block h5">Other services</span> <span class="d-block small">Custom services</span> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/en/news" class="nav-link">News</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="/en/support" class="nav-link">Support</a> </li>  </ul> </div> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <a href="/en/contact" class="btn btn-sm btn-tertiary me-3"> <span class="fas fa-paper-plane me-2"></span> Contact </a> <li class="dropdown d-inline"> <a class="text-white" href="#" role="button" id="languagesDropdown" data-bs-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="false"> en <span class="fas fa-angle-down nav-link-arrow 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Available as an API, it integrates with library management systems and thus allows collaborative management of authority data by institutions from different linguistic regions.</p> <div class="mt-4"> <a class="btn btn-primary btn-wide transition-3d-hover px-4 py-2 me-4" href="https://mef.test.rero.ch/" target="_blank">Try it<span class="fas fa-arrow-right ms-2"></span></a> <a class="btn btn-outline-primary btn-wide transition-3d-hover px-4 py-2" href="#discover">Read more<span class="fas fa-arrow-down ms-2"></span></a> </div> </div> <div class="col-lg-7"> <div class="d-none d-lg-block ms-4"> <img class="" src="/user/themes/rero/images/minimalistic-illustrations/growth-2.svg" alt="Illustration"> </div> </div> </div> </div>   <section class="section bg-gray-200 text-dark" id="description"> <div class="container"> <h2>What does MEF do?</h2> <p>MEF is a service that combines entities (or authorities) in multiple languages. It then makes the data available to other systems, such as library management systems, as an API. MEF can therefore be used by several different interfaces, but does not have its own user interface.</p> <p>MEF is operated by RERO ILS where it allows for example:</p> <ul> <li>The user to search and display the contents (and not only the interface) in his/her own language</li> <li>Libraries to reuse international repositories (GND, IdRef...) as much as possible. They can thus abandon the local management of an authority file and embrace the web of data</li> </ul> <p>For example, RERO ILS uses MEF. </p> <p>RERO+ is developing this service in an open way and makes it available, for the moment in a test version, at <a href="https://mef.test.rero.ch">mef.test.rero.ch</a>.</p> <h2>Types of entities</h2> <p>MEF will eventually host the resource types defined in RDA standards and the <a href="https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/11412">Library Reference Model</a>:</p> <ul> <li>persons</li> <li>families</li> <li>corporate bodies</li> <li>works</li> <li>common nouns</li> <li>places</li> <li>time-spans</li> <li>expressions</li> </ul> <h2>How it works</h2> <p>MEF retrieves and synchronizes with entities from different sources (GND, IdRef, etc.). It automatically aggregates them through <a href="https://viaf.org" title="Site web du Virtual International Authority File">VIAF</a>, deriving display labels in German and French (at the moment) when available.</p> <p>The entities themselves are maintained and edited directly at the source in agreement with their issuing institution. No entities are created or edited through MEF.</p> <p><img title="Fonctionnement de MEF" alt="mef_fonctionnement" src="/user/pages/04.products/03.mef/mef_schema_en.svg?decoding=auto&fetchpriority=auto" /></p> </div> </section>  <span id="discover"></span> </main>   <footer class="footer pt-6 pb-5 bg-primary text-white"> <div class="container"> <div class="row justify-content-center justify-content-lg-between"> <div class="col-lg-3 ml-lg-auto mb-5 mb-lg-0"> <img alt="Logo RERO+" class="navbar-brand-dark mb-3" height="50" src="/user/pages/media/logo-rero.svg"> <p>Fondation RERO+<br>Avenue de la Gare 45<br>1920 Martigny<br>Suisse</p> <ul class="social-buttons mb-5 mb-lg-0"> <li> <a aria-label="linkedin social link" class="icon-white me-2 display-4" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/rero/"><span class="fab fa-linkedin"></span></a> </li> <li> <a aria-label="github social link" class="icon-white me-2 display-4" href="https://github.com/rero"><span class="fab fa-github"></span></a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-6 col-md-3 col-lg mb-5 mb-lg-0"> <span class="h5">RERO+</span> <ul class="footer-links mt-2"> <li> <a href="/en/a-propos/la-fondation">The RERO+ Foundation</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/a-propos/equipe">The team</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/a-propos/clients">Our clients</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/a-propos/jobs">Working at RERO+</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/a-propos/rapports-activites">Annual reports</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/news">News</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-6 col-md-3 col-lg mb-5 mb-lg-0"> <div class="h5">Products & services</div> <ul class="footer-links mt-2"> <li> <a href="/en/produits/ils">RERO ILS</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/produits/sonar">SONAR IRaaS</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/produits/mef">Multilingual Entity File (MEF)</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/produits/other">Other services</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="col-12 col-md-3 col-lg"> <span class="h5">Help</span> <ul class="footer-links mt-2"> <li> <a href="/en/support">Support</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/web-archive">Legacy website</a> </li> <li> <a href="/en/contact">Contact</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://status.rero.ch" target="_blank">Status<span class="fas fa-external-link-alt ms-2"></span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <hr class="bg-secondary my-3 my-lg-4"> <div class="row"> <div class="col mb-md-0"> <a class="d-flex justify-content-center mb-0" href="/en"> <p class="text-white fw-bold footer-logo-text m-0"></p> </a> <div class="d-flex text-center justify-content-center align-items-center" role="contentinfo"> <p class="fw-normal font-small mb-0">2004-<span class="current-year">2025</span> | <a href="/en/legal/privacy">Data protection</a> | <a href="/en/legal/impressum">Impressum</a></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </footer>   </body> </html>

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