Creating new authority records
| The rules on this page have been approved in concept by the SCRAP committee, but the exact wording is still being adjusted. Please use these rules. Please send any feedback to SCRAP. |
...Or what to do if a name heading is not in the national authority file
The Library of Congress has authorized the Authorities Librarian (and a few other catalogers at CCS libraries) to input new authority records into OCLC and edit existing ones, through their NACO program. Names (either personal or corporate), series, and uniform titles are all eligible to be added.
For headings that are not in OCLC and that you want to be put into the national authority file, there are 2 primary ways to notify the Authorities Librarian.
- Email the heading with any background information that might be needed (such as a link to the Internet Movie Database or All Music guide).
- Send a photocopy of the matter in question (include photocopies of the author's biography, title page or verso)
The authority record will be input, and then added to the national authority file. You will be notified when your authority record has been added to OCLC and exported to our computer system.
For subject headings that are needed on the national level, those can also be sent to the Authorities Librarian (with accompanying information). The Authorities Librarian will forward this information to the Library of Congress for their approval (hopefully).
Loading new authority records
(Only catalogers who have successfully completed LC NACO training are allowed to import authority records to our system. Ask the CCS Authorities librarian for details.)