From an XSL processing standpoint, it doesn't matter if the root is "mods" or "modsCollection". I use <apply-templates select="descendant-or-self::mods:mods"/>,and it processes as many mods records as there are, skipping modsCollection if need be. _______________________________________ Nate Trail Digital Project Coordinator Network Development & MARC Standards Office Library of Congress 202-707-2193 [log in to unmask] >>> [log in to unmask] 1/27/2005 1:08:37 PM >>> From: "Bruce D'Arcus" <[log in to unmask]> > It's just that both of these are valid: > > <modsCollection xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3"> > <mods> > ... > </mods> > </modsCollection> > > <mods xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3"> > ... > </mods> Ok, I see. Mods defines both the "mods record" and "mods collection" where the latter is a collection of records. (So <mods> or <modsCollection> can be the root, for a mods record or mods collection respectively.) A solution (to the apparent complexity and confusion that this causes) is to define a separate schema for modsCollection. We did discuss this long ago and decided it wasn't necessary, but I wouldn't object to revisiting this. You could propose it for version 4. Another suggestion has been to dissalow <mods> as a root, so that <modsCollection> would wrap even a single mods record. I would oppose this approach but would not oppose a separate schema. --Ray