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Hi,

are there any 'best practice' guidelines for geographic subdivisions in MODS
when using subjects from LCSH? Specifically, is anyone following the LCSH
rule of indirect geographic subdivision?

I am referring to the rule that transforms a geographic main heading, such
as "Halkyn Mountain (Wales)", into two geographic entities when used as a
subdivision: Wales--Halkyn Mountain. (Example taken from:
http://www.tulane.edu/~techserv/geogqual.html#subdbasic)

So if the subject is "gorse on the Halkyn Mountain", do I represent it in
MODS as
1) <subject authority="lcsh"><topic>Gorse</topic><geographic>Halkyn Mountain
(Wales)</geographic></subject>, or
2) <subject
authority="lcsh"><topic>Gorse</topic><geographic>Wales</geographic><geographic>Halkyn
Mountain</geographic></subject>, or
3) <subject
authority="lcsh"><topic>Gorse</topic><hierarchicalGeographic><state>Wales</state><area>Halkyn
Mountain</area></hierarchicalGeographic></subject>?

Obviously, there are implications for maintaining local authority files and
validating the records (easiest in the case of 1., but this is does not
strictly speaking produce a pure LCSH subject string), as well as for
creating browsable subject lists as a finding aid (whereby 2. and 3. collate
subjects much better according to geographic area).

I have been wrecking my head with this problems for quite some time now and
would love to hear whether (and how!) anyone else has tried to tackle this
problem in MODS!

Thanks,
Christoph


-----------------------
Christoph Schmidt-Supprian
Irish Virtual Research Library and Archive Project,
James Joyce Library,
UCD,
Belfield,
Dublin 4.

(t) 01 716 7506
(e) [log in to unmask]
(w) www.ucd.ie/ivrla