Unique headings used for bibliographic information
For information on authority control usage within Wikipedia, see Help:Authority control.
In information science, authority control is a process that organizes information, for example in library catalogs,[1][2][3] by using a single, distinct spelling of a name (heading) or an (generally alphanumeric) identifier for each topic or concept. The word authority in authority control derives from the idea that the names of people, places, things, and concepts are authorized, i.e., they are established in one particular form.[4][5][6] These one-of-a-kind headings or identifiers are applied consistently throughout catalogs which make use of the respective authority file,[7] and are applied for other methods of organizing data such as linkages and cross references.[7][8] Each controlled entry is described in an authority record in terms of its scope and usage, and this organization helps the library staff maintain the catalog and make it user-friendly for researchers.[9]
Catalogers assign each subject—such as author, topic, series, or corporation—a particular unique identifier or heading term which is then used consistently, uniquely, and unambiguously for all references to that same subject, which removes variations from different spellings, transliterations, pen names, or aliases.[10] The unique header can guide users to all relevant information including related or collocated subjects.[10] Authority records can be combined into a database and called an authority file, and maintaining and updating these files as well as "logical linkages"[11] to other files within them is the work of librarians and other information catalogers. Accordingly, authority control is an example of controlled vocabulary and of bibliographic control.
While in theory any piece of information is amenable to authority control towards such as personal and corporate names, uniform titles, series names will be placed , and subjects,[2][3] library catalogers typically focus on author names and titles of works. Traditionally, one of the most commonly used authority files globally are the subject headings from the Library of Congress. More recently, links to articles and categories of Wikipedia emerged to function as an authority file due to the popularity of the encyclopedia, where each article is a notable topic or concept similar to other authority files.[citation needed]
As time passes, information changes, prompting needs for reorganization. According to one view, authority control is not about creating a perfect seamless system but rather it is an ongoing effort to keep up with these changes and try to bring "structure and order" to the task of helping users find information.[9]
^Block, R. (1999). Authority control: What it is and why it matters. Retrieved on 27 October 2006.
^ ab"Why Does a Library Catalog Need Authority Control and What Is it?". IMPLEMENTING AUTHORITY CONTROL. Vermont Department of Libraries. 2003. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015., then ... please [feel free to] see the next footnote, which links to a web page having the exact same title that does still exist (at a slightly different URL).Pages across the work refer in their text to 2003 as the most recent year, as no other date is specified.-->
^ abImplementing Authority Control Workshop. (2016). "Why Does a Library Catalog Need Authority Control and What Is it?". Vermont Department of Libraries. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
^"auctor". Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper. 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013. author (n)— c. 1300, autor "father," from O.Fr. auctor, acteor "author, originator, creator, instigator (12c., Mod.Fr. auteur), from L. auctorem (nom. auctor) ... – authority (n.)— early 13c., autorite "book or quotation that settles an argument," from O.Fr. auctorité "authority, prestige, right, permission, dignity, gravity; the Scriptures" (12c.; Mod.Fr. autorité), ...Note: root words for both author and authority are words such as auctor or autor and autorite from the 13th century.
^"authority (control)". Memidex. 2012. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2022. Etymology ... autorite "book or quotation that settles an argument", from Old French auctorité...
^Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2012). "authority". Retrieved 7 December 2012. See "Origin of authority" – Middle English auctorite, from Anglo-French auctorité, from Latin auctoritat-, auctoritas opinion, decision, power, from auctor First Known Use: 13th century...
^ ab"Authority Control at the NMSU Library". United States: New Mexico State University. 2007. Archived from the original on 4 June 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
^"Authority Control in OPAC". LIS BD Network. 27 October 2018. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
^ abCite error: The named reference tws2NovY312 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abNational Library of Australia. (n.d.). "Collection description policy". Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2020. The primary purpose of authority control is to assist the catalogue user in locating items of interest.
^"Authority Control at LTI". LTI. 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013.
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