Dear Wilhelmina,

short answer would be yes (for 3.x), so 3.4 was designed to be backwards compatible to 3.3, 3.5 should be backwards compatible to 3.4, etc. The MODS Editorial Committee has currently no plans to move to a 4.0 version that would introduce changes that could invalidate current MODS records. There is, however, a 3.7 version coming up and we will send out the approved changes for comment shortly.

Best regards,

Melanie Wacker

Melanie Wacker
Metadata Coordinator
Original and Special Materials Cataloging
Columbia University Libraries
New York, N.Y.
(212) 854 9676

On Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 11:06 AM, Wilhelmina Randtke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Is MODS guaranteed to always be backwards compatible?

Ā

Are all past releases backwards compatible? And will all future releases be backwards compatible at least to MODS 3.4?

Ā

Wilhelmina Randtke

Digital Library Services Coordinator

Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative

Florida Virtual Campus

Gainesville, FL 32606

(352) 415-6848