Language
Required if Applicable
Repeatable
The language in which the content of a resource is expressed
Table of Contents
Purpose
- To indicate the language of a resource when textual or verbal content is present
- When consistently applied, this element can allow users to filter Digital Collections search results by language
Guidelines
- The Language element is required when language is primary to understanding the resource (e.g., if Type of Resource is set to text, or if it is set to sound recording or moving image and verbal content is present)
- This requirement includes when the resource is in English
- For resources where textual content is not the primary focus, such as image captions or sheet music lyrics, including the language of this content is optional but highly recommended
- For resources that contain multiple languages, this element is repeatable
- Enter each applicable language in a new Language element
- Mark one Language element as Primary
Subelements
Language
Required if Applicable
Contains the textual or coded form for the language of the content of the resource
Guidelines
- Select the appropriate Language from the dropdown
- Values are based on ISO 639.2
- If the Language cannot be determined, but is required due to presence of textual or verbal content, select Undetermined
- If there is no textual or verbal content, the Language element is not required
Script
Recommended if Applicable
Contains the script(s) of the resource
Guidelines
- Script is recommended when the script of the title is not the default script of the language
- Select the appropriate Script from the dropdown
- Values are based on ISO 15924
Attributes
Primary
Required if Applicable
Used for a repeated element to declare that a particular instance of the element is most important
Guidelines
- Check Primary for one Language element if more than one Language element exists for a record
See Also
- Top-level Element: <language> for official MODS documentation from the Library of Congress