MODS to BIBFRAME

Usage Notes: MODS 3.6 to BIBFRAME 2.0 Conversion

The mapping above was created by members of the MODS Editorial Committee. The mapping will benefit institutions that want to reuse MODS records in a BIBFRAME environment, either by converting existing MODS/XML records or using creation tools that can output them in the BIBFRAME OWL ontology. The specifications are written from the perspective of MODS. Each MODS element, subelement, and attribute has been considered, though not every single element, subelement, or attribute could be mapped. The spreadsheet consists of several tabs, one for each top-level MODS element.

The BIBFRAME conversion for elements, subelements, and attributes is shown using Turtle syntax. A shorthand was used to accommodate the BIBFRAME mapping in the spreadsheet format. The BIBFRAME core class to which the properties apply are given as follows:

_inst = bf:Instance

_w = bf:Work

_I = bf:Item

Other conventions used include:

= insert a URI

## = inherits the information from the rows above

There are some cases where vocabularies from http://id.loc.gov are appropriate and indicated. This hasn’t been done in a comprehensive way, and other relevant vocabularies could be used. Any suggestions for enhancing the specifications with additional vocabularies are encouraged.

The Turtle serialization shown in the mapping was used because it is the most human readable and can be accommodated in a spreadsheet. Turtle lends itself to the illusion that blank nodes are being specified, but the presence of intermediate classes is not the same as using blank nodes. The BIBFRAME and MODS Editorial Committee take no position on the use of blank nodes.

These conversion specifications are untested and, given the complexity of the task, there may be areas of improvement or inaccuracies.

Please feel free to share comments and suggestions with the MODS Editorial Committee by sending a message to either the public MODS list ([email protected]) or to the chair, Melanie Wacker, [email protected].

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