[Fwd: [MODS] Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS) available fortrial use]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [MODS] Metadata Object Description Schema
(MODS) available for trial use
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2002 16:41:36 -0400
From: "Rebecca S. Guenther" <rgue@loc.gov>
Reply-To: Metadata Object Description Schema List
<MODS@loc.gov>
To: MODS@sun8.LOC.GOV

Announcement: Metadata Object Description Schema
(MODS) available for trial
use

The Library of Congress' Network Development and
MARC Standards Office,
with interested experts, has developed the
Metadata Object Description
Schema (MODS) , which is a bibliographic element
set that may be used for a
variety of purposes, particularly for library
applications.  Information
about MODS and the schema (version 1.2) is
available at:
http://www.loc.gov/mods

As an XML schema it is intended to be able to
carry selected data from
existing MARC 21 records as well as to enable the
creation of original
resource description records. It includes a subset
of MARC fields and uses
language-based tags rather than numeric ones, in
some cases regrouping
elements from the MARC 21 bibliographic format.
The elements inherit MARC
semantics, so are more compatible with existing
library data than other
metadata schemes.

MODS could potentially be used as follows:
* as a Z39.50 Next Generation specified format
* as an extension schema to METS (Metadata
Encoding and Transmission
Standard)
* to represent metadata for harvesting
* for original resource description in XML syntax
(using MARC
semantics)
* for representing a simplified MARC record in XML
* for metadata in XML that may be packaged with an
electronic
resource

MODS includes a subset of data from the MARC 21
Format for Bibliographic
Data. As an element set that allows for the
representation of data already
in MARC-based systems, it is intended to allow for
the
conversion of core fields from a MARC 21 record,
while some specific data
may be dropped. As an  element set for original
resource description, it
allows for a simple record to be created, in some
cases using more general
tags than those available in the MARC record.  The
Library of Congress has
developed transformations to move MARC 21 records
from 2709 form to
MARCXML to MODS, with the software available from
the MARCXML Web site.

There has been wide review and input to the
development of the schema,
which is now available for trial use.  It will
remain stable for the next
six months, during which we invite comments as a
result of experimentation.
 For questions or comments please email the Office
at ndmso@loc.gov.

Sally McCallum, Chief
Network Development and MARC Standards Office
Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA

Received on Thursday, 13 June 2002 17:11:07 UTC