RDA-L

Please excuse any cross-posting. This message has been sent to multiple email lists.

Hi everyone,

This is a reminder that the Core Committee on Cataloging: Asian & African Materials (CC:AAM) invites you to the workshop "BCP 47 Language Tags in BIBFRAME and MARC: The What, Why, and How."

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Time: 10:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. ET

Registeration: ala-events.zoom.us/meeting/register/...

Presenters:

    Kevin Ford, Librarian and Linked Data Specialist, Network Development and MARC Standards Office, Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress began experimenting with recording language and script for individual labels in Bibframe in September 2024.  This was a marked departure in bibliographic cataloging.  Language codes have long been used in cataloging but generally in the service of recording the language in which the whole resource is presented, not to identify discrete strings or labels in the bibliographic description.  The month and year are readily recalled because the Library very quickly needed a Linked Data friendly solution to include multi-script access points in Bibframe-to-MARC converted records.  The solution involved catalogers accurately identifying the language and script used for specific labels in the bibliographic description (through the use of BCP47 language tags) and then using that knowledge to programmatically extract labels from related authority records that matched the language and script used in the bibliographic description. This presentation will detail what problem the Library initially sought to solve, and why and how leveraging BCP47 codes were key components of the solution.  It will also cover how the Library has expanded the use of language codes, both in Bibframe and introducing them to MARC.

    Adam Schiff, Principal Cataloger, University of Washington Libraries; NACO trainer; member, PCC Non-Latin Script Variants in NARs Task Group.

The PCC's Non-Latin Script Variants in NARs Task Group has been charged with following up on the work of the Task Group on Evaluation Guidelines for Non-Latin Script References in NARs by planning and conducting pilot testing of guidelines for evaluating non-Latin script variant access points in name authority records. As part of these guidelines, preferred non-Latin script variants will be able to be designated for any non-Latin language and script permitted in name authority records. The designation will consist of a textual string in subfield $i of 4XX fields and a language or language/script code in subfield $7. BCP 47 tags and subtags will be used in subfield $7. This presentation will cover the guidelines still under creation by the Non-Latin Script Variants in NARs Task Group for encoding language and script in subfield $7 and will include a demonstration of automated ways being developed for catalogers to input this coding using the Authority Toolkit.

The workshop will be recorded. 

We look forward to seeing many of you at the workshop!

Magda

Chair, CC: AAM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~