Karen wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Karen Coyle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 10:13 AM
> Subject: Re: language attributes for MODS element. was (RE:
> [MODS] MODS revisions)
>
<snip>

> Yes, we should distinguish between the language of the item
> being described
> and the language of the cataloging. So when a librarian in
> China describes
> a book published in England, the book is cataloged using
> Chinese, although
> the book itself is in English. As more metadata crosses national and
> language boundaries, this will be an important piece of
> information about
> the metadata itself.

Language of cataloguing has often been included since the beginning of MARC
coding in Canada to distinguish English-language from French-language
catalogue records.  For bilingual works especially, there are frequently two
catalogue records created ... one in English and one in French ... for the
same item.  The language of publication of the item may or may not have some
bearing on what language of cataloguing is used; that is a matter of local
cataloguing policy.

Info about language of cataloguing is described in MARC 040$b.  I do not see
040$b in the MARC-to-MODS October 2 map
<http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods-mapping.html>, only 040$a.     If
the language of the original catalogue record is important, especially in
the international context Karen described, then MARC subfield 040$b should
be mapped.  (If prior discussion has covered this, I apologize for stating
the obvious.  I have come late to the MODS party.)

Donna Dinberg
Systems Librarian/Analyst
Government Online Task Force
National Library of Canada
Ottawa, ON   K1A 0N4
Voice:  613-995-9227
E-mail:  [log in to unmask]

<Opinions above are mine, not necessarily those of my employer.>