My thoughts for the penny.
It would be the best if:
1. any language code standards (ISO, National, or local defined by the
application system) should be allowed in a XML based format
2. the language code standards that is being used for the collection should
be clear communicated inside of the XML document (reference site, for
example)
do not limit what the code standards user can have with MODS, but tell
people how to declare the standard used inside a XML document.
How:
1. to utilize the language type attribute in the language element to define
the language code standards
2. by default, any language attribute used for other elements should follow
the code standard defined in the language element.
For example, if we have a Japanese language code JPN in the language
element and the language type is ISO 639-2, the rest of the lang attribute
should all use the same code standard by that type definition for the same
XML document for other languages.
3. any language code standards used (local, national, or international)
should have it declared in XML Prologue section. for example:
xmlns:ISO639-2="http://xml.coverpages.org/iso639-2a.html" ## just a
example
Last but not least:
we should allow people to use name of the language instead of code in
MODS, because we will have collection that is generated from people not in
library science background, and the name of the language is much more
understandable by regular users who without access to the standards.
Foster Zhang
===============================================
Systems Department (650) 725-7924
Green Library East, 2nd Fl.(650) 723-3038 (fax)
Stanford University [log in to unmask]
Stanford, CA 94305-6069 library.stanford.edu
