[OAI-implementers] Using dates other than metadata record creation date for data provider "from" and "until" searches

[Lisa M. Brooks]

Hello - We're very close to launching our data provider. Before we do I have
a question about date-stamps.

I understand that the "from" and "until" dates used to request metadata
records refer to the date that the metadata record was created. We are an
archive of research works that date back to the 1980s (we will definitely
get even older works into our archive as we move forward). To my mind it
would be more helpful to folks if our record date-stamps reflect the date
the research work in question was first published.

My concern is that we introduce our repository and harvesters don't get the
gist of the temporal scope of our collection because everything is
date-stamped en masse with the date that we generate our metadata records
(which, with luck, will be this Saturday).

I hope I'm making sense! Just want to know if this is a big no-no, or if
there are things to consider before doing something like this. Appreciate
the insight of list participants.

Thanks for reading -
~Lisa

Lisa M. Brooks
IssueLab - bringing nonprofit research into focus
lisa at issuelab.org
773-649-1790
http://www.issuelab.org
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