Date:         Fri, 30 Jul 2004 19:10:40 -0400
Reply-To:     Metadata Object Description Schema List <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       Metadata Object Description Schema List <[log in to unmask]>
From:         Bruce D'Arcus <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: legal citations (bills)
Comments: To: Metadata Object Description Schema List <[log in to unmask]>
In-Reply-To:  <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

On Jul 30, 2004, at 5:44 PM, Karen Coyle wrote:

> If this is all you've got:
>
> H.R. 24, 107th Congr. § 2 (Jan. 3, 2001)
>
> then you've not got much to go on in terms of bibliographic metadata.
> This is like having a journal citation that reads:
>
> JAMA, 57(11), pp. 73-84
>
> It would get you there, but there's nothing really "bibliographic" 
> about
> it.

Yes, sorry; I should have been clear about that.  It was indeed just a 
fragment.

> The citation here is essentially an identifier, and if it was in
> addition to some bibliographic metadata it might be in an identifier
> field or even a uniform title (see below). The bill DOES have a title
> (in this case "Probation Officers' Protection Act of 2001" from the
> Thomas database), but if you don't have that it's like having a URL but
> no name of the document.
>
> In other words, I don't think  that library cataloging or MODS will be
> terribly useful here, unless you have more info. As an aside, however,
> the Congressional bill database (http://thomas.loc.gov) treats "H.R. 
> 24"
> as the "number" for the bill.

Ahh, that starts to make sense.  Maybe the "H.R. 24" is then a part 
detail.  Perhaps have a genre value of "legislation" and then the 
following?

<detail type="house bill"><number>24</number></detail>