There was some discussion on this (MODS) list in 2005/2006 to enhance
the physicalDescription/extent to include units, just as part/extent
now has. Was there any reason this was dropped?
The current correct way to specify a book that has 176 pages is:
<physicalDescription>
<extent>176 p.</extent>
</physicalDescription>
where-as some part that has that many pages can be described by the cleaner:
<part>
<extent unit="pages">
<total>176</total>
</extent>
</part>
This topic was re-raised as eXist solutions wants several improvements
to be made to the Zotero MODS exporter. We seem to have a few
options:
(1) modify MODS, as had been proposed in the older messages to this list
(2) export invalid MODS (<physicalDescription><extent
unit="pages"><total>176</total></extent></physicalDescription>)
(3) inaccurately use the more explicit "part" even though we're
referring to a whole resource
(4) use the valid, but somewhat ugly MODS (getting the number of
pages would then involve trying to pare the freeform extent field,
looking for a number followed by " p." and throwing away everything
else).
(1) is our most preferred option. Failing that, there is some serious
discussion of (2) [which is what refbase already does], because the
ease of processing is so valuable [but, of course, intentionally
emitting invalid XML is not to be done lightly]. (3) is what we're
now doing, and I guess (4) is what the spec says we should do, but
we'd need to overcome our aversion to the free-form text.
Is (1) possible & what would it take to get these changes into the
next version of the specification?
--Richard Karnesky
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