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Top-level Element: <genre>

Element <genre>
Definition A term or terms that designate a category characterizing a particular style, form, or content, such as artistic, musical, literary composition, etc.
Attributes

Common:

Authority: authority; valueURI; authorityURI

Language-related: lang; xml:lang; script; transliteration

Linking: ID; IDREF; altRepGroup

Miscellaneous: usage; displayLabel

Specific: type

Subelements None
Examples EXAMPLES
Mappings MAPPINGS

Guidelines for Use

<genre> contains terms that give more specificity for the form of an object than the broad terms used in <typeOfResource>. The terms may be from a controlled list with a designation of the authoritative list used in the authority attribute, or it may be an uncontrolled term. If no authority is specified, it is assumed that the term is uncontrolled. For an example genre list, see MARC Genre Term List.

The <genre> element should be used to characterize the content of the resource rather than the resource itself which would be <form>. Genre is a term that carries different specific meanings within different communities of practice, and the content of most information objects can be characterized by genre at some level of granularity, either very broad or quite specific. For example, photographs and ambrotypes are both valid genre characterizations, depending on your perspective, for a specific type of direct positive photographic print. At the very least, institutions can provide a very broad genre term for materials being digitized. Broad terms appear in many standard thesauri used for genre terms. For example, the genres "sound recordings" and "photographs" appear in the Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT), Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT), and Thesaurus for Graphic Materials II (TGM II), while "books" appears in only AAT and TGM. Values given should be as specific as possible within the context of an institution's descriptive program. It is recommended that institutions adopt a consistent, well-documented approach to supplying genre terms.

The terms may be from a controlled list with a designation of the authoritative list used in the authority or authorityURI attribute, or it may be an uncontrolled term. If no authority is specified, it is assumed that the term is uncontrolled. Implementers are encouraged to use a controlled vocabulary. Repeat this element as necessary.

Specific Attribute Information

type

Definition
Distinguishes different aspects of genre, such as class or style.
Application
Optional; use if desired to categorize the genre.

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EXAMPLES

<genre authority="rbgenr">Hymnals-Germany</genre>
<genre valueURI="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/genreForms/gf201402609">Exhibition catalogs</genre>
<genre authority="marcgt">folktale</genre>
<genre authority="att" type="style" displayLabel="Style">baroque</genre>
<genre authority="att" type="culture" displayLabel="Culture">Netherlandish</genre>
<genre valueURI="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/genreForms/gf2011026735">Western films</genre>

For a digital image of a Civil War-era daguerreotype portrait:

<genre authority="gmgpc">Daguerreotypes</genre>
<genre authority="gmgpc">Group portraits</genre>

For a children's adventure story:

<genre authority="gsfad">adventure fiction</genre>
<genre authority="lcsh" valueURI="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85023598">Children's literature</genre>

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MAPPINGS

MARC Mapping (Bibliographic)

See also MARC Mapping to MODS for the <genre> element.

Dublin Core Mapping

See MODS to Dublin Core Metadata Element Set Mapping.

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Last Updated: November 7, 2022