We thought about this chain already, but were afraid of the inescapeble loss of data quality. As we think about using MODS as the basic format for a new version of our EconBiz portal, and our main record set is in GBV-PICA+, that's a crucial point for sucess. 

Maybe we could re-use the your FCV? (for building the chain you lined out or as a possible starting point to build a direct conversion - which we happily would pass back). 

Kind regards, Joachim

> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Im 
> Auftrag von Jakob Voss
> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 21. Januar 2009 17:05
> An: [log in to unmask]
> Betreff: Re: [CODE4LIB] PICAplus to MODS conversion
> 
> Joachim Neubert wrote:
> 
> > Has anybody built a conversion from PICA+ to MODS and is willing to 
> > share the code?
> 
> First there is not one PICA+ but different variants like 
> there are different MARC variants. Second the most PICA+ to 
> anything conversions that I know use the "FCV" conversion 
> language that was developed by PICA an is neither documented 
> nor standardized - so you won't be able to do something with 
> it unless you run your own PICA system. At GBV we export MODS 
> via MARC and the XSLT provided by the LOC, the chain is
> 
> GBV-PICA+ --(FCV)--> MARC ---> MARCXML --(XSLT)--> MODS
> 
> As you can imagine, the metadata quality does not get better 
> with each step like alway when you do conversion between 
> metadata formats. But its better than having to write n*n 
> single conversions.
> 
> Greetings,
> Jakob
> 
> --
> Jakob Voß <[log in to unmask]>, skype: nichtich 
> Verbundzentrale des GBV (VZG) / Common Library Network Platz 
> der Goettinger Sieben 1, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
> +49 (0)551 39-10242, http://www.gbv.de
>