The Library of Congress has announced a new version of the Metadata
Object
Description Schema (MODS), which is version 3.2. It is at:
http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd

The main MODS page is at:
http://www.loc.gov/mods

A number of changes have been included that were requested for the DLF
Aquifer initiative, growing out of the work on DLF MODS Implementation
Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Materials and recent discussion about
Asset action packages. 

Here are the changes from version 3.1 (also noted in the schema itself):

1. <location><url>
1.1. Added attribute "note" to allow for notes associated with the
link.  (Tentative plan for 4.0 is to make it an element instead of an
attribute, and  wrap <url> and <urlNote> together, but we can't do that
in
this version because it would not be compatible with 3.1.) 
1.2. Added attribute "access",  enumerated list with values:
preview
raw object
object in context
1.3. Added attribute 'usage' under <url> with one enumerated
value: "primary display".
(The above requested for DLF Aquifer initiative.)

2. <physicalDescription><digitalOrigin>
Added enumerated values: 
digitized microfilm (original source was microfilm) 
digitized other analog (original source was something other than the
other
enumerated values) 
(These requested for the DLF Registry of digital masters.)

3. <part>
3.1. Added attributes ID, type, order  
3.2. <part> may now be empty (minOccurs 0 on choice)

4. ID attribute added.
4.1 to relatedItem (note that this was an error that has now been
corrected; inadvertently omitted in version 3.1)
4.2 to note.
(The above allow better linking between the METS fileGroup and
structural
map and MODS descriptive elements.)

5. The following elements have been globalized:
5.1 <dateCaptured>  (under <originInfo>)  dateCapturedType defined
5.2 <edition> (under <originInfo> editionType defined
5.3 <physicalLocation> (under <location>) physicalLocationType defined

6. Elements whose type had been assumed to be "string", but had not been
explicitly typed, are now typed. 

7.  Added subelement <genre> under <subject>.
(Requested by DLF Aquifer group.)

8. The schema location reference for xlink is changed to
http://www.loc.gov/standards/xlink.xsd. (It was previously
http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/xlink.xsd. The schema now resides in
both places so that earlier versions will not be affected, but it is now
intended that the new copy be referenced, outside of the mods directory,
so that other projects, e.g. mets, may reference it.)

These changes were extensively discussed on the MODS listserv (to
subscribe go to: http://listserv.loc.gov/listarch/mods.html) The MODS
guidelines will be revised shortly to explain in more detail the usage
of
these new elements.
Guidelines are
at: http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-userguide.html

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^^  Rebecca S. Guenther                                   ^^
^^  Senior Networking and Standards Specialist            ^^
^^  Network Development and MARC Standards Office         ^^
^^  1st and Independence Ave. SE                          ^^
^^  Library of Congress                                   ^^
^^  Washington, DC 20540-4402                             ^^
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