There is no standard date/time format that meets the needs of various well-known XML metadata schemas, for example MODS, METS, PREMIS, etc. For several years there have been various discussions about developing a reasonably comprehensive date/time definition for the bibliographic community, and submitting it either for standardization or some other mode of formalization - a W3C note for example, a NISO Profile, and/or an amendment to ISO 8601.

This website describes the current effort to define an extended date/time definition. As a preliminary step, a fairly simple date/time definition has been drafted.

• Requirements, etc. -- Statement of the problem, requirements, and basic approach.
• Analysis -- Analysis, XML patterns, sample schema.
• Examples -- Some examples of supported types and their values.
• References -- Brief descriptions of datatypes (xs.date, xs:dateTime), W3CDTF, ISO 8601, etc.
  
  

• Tools and Usage - A schema, an include file, a schema tester, and a test file. Includes tools for Dublin Core support.

• Proposals

Please join the discussion of this developing specification. Subscribe to the Datetime Listserv.

This site is maintained in the Network Development and MARC Standards Office of the Library of Congress.