Authority Control (F3)

Overview

While creating and editing records in the Metadata Editor, F3 enables you to:

1) Link to closely-matching authority records quickly from an authority-controlled field in a bibliographic record. 

• 100, 110, 111, 130
• 440, 490
• 600, 610-611, 620, 630, 648, 650, 651, 654, 655
• 700, 710, 730, 748, 751, 754
• 800, 810-819, 830

2) View a read-only version of closely-matching authority record and browse LC authorities alphabetically

3) View the bibliographic record(s) that are linked to this authority record

How to

In an authority-controlled MARC bibliographic field in the MDE:

1) Type at least three characters of the author’s name or subject heading

2) Press F3

A list of suggested matches from the LC authority file appears, starting with the two headings that precede the left-matched heading(s).

• Note that starred headings are authorized headings, and non-starred headings are references
• When a bibliographic heading has been linked to an authority record, it is indicated by a telescope icon to the left of the heading

View authority files and select authorized headings

1 Authority-controlled field from the bib record

This section displays the authority-controlled field where you have pressed F3. You may edit the text to fine-tune your search.

If you make no selection and press Cancel (4), the window returns to the bib record and any editing you have done will be retained.

Do not change the field tag from the F3 menu. If you need to control a different field, Cancel and select that field from the bib record for F3 operation.

2 Execute search

The magnifying glass icon is the same as the Enter key. You may fine-tune search text in the subfield box (1) and search again.

3 Expand

For non-starred entries (8), i.e., non-preferred form of headings that are listed in 4xx of authority files, press Expand to see the authorized form, which will be appended in bold font in parentheses.

4 Cancel

Make no selection and return to the bib record.

If you have edited Box 1 before Cancel, changes will be brought back to the bib record.

5 Tab: Authority headings

Presents a list of authority headings that left-match the bibliographic heading ($e relator term is ignored).

Sources of the authority files are determined by the field tag, indicators, and $2 of the bib field on which you have operated F3. All the following authority files are searchable via ClassWeb.

• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
• Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAMES) 

Alma uses the acronym LCNAMES to refer to the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF).

• For 651 #0: two tabs - LCNAMES and LCSH, because geographic headings can reside in either the name authority file or the subject authority file.
• For 655 #7 $2 lcgft: LC Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT)

6 Tab: Headings from bibliographic records

Allows you to alphabetically browse headings that appear in our library's bibliographic records. 

• Only headings that exist in the bib records of Princeton's repository will appear in this tab. 
• This tab does not indicate whether or not a heading is authorized.

View: Allows you to view bib records in Princeton's repository that contain this heading, in the same way as the Browse Bibliographic Headings tool does, so please beware of its known issues.

Select: Do not use. Select only authorized headings from the Authority tab (5). See current policy on PUL local terms for form/genre headings.

7 Page navigation

8-10 Non-starred entries

Entries without a star are variant forms (references) of headings, taken from 4xx of authority records. 

9 View

Opens a split pane on the right, displaying two tabs:

Authority: The authority record where the non-preferred form is found

Bibliographic Records: Functions in the same way as Browse Bibliographic Headings, which has a list of known issues. Please utilize with precaution.

10 Select

Selects the authorized form for the bib heading and return to the bib record.

In other words, if your original bib field left-matches a non-preferred form of heading, then Select flips it to the authorized form. The bib field is now authority-controlled.

11-13 Starred entries

Star marks the authorized form of a heading

12 View

Opens a split pane on the right, displaying two tabs:

Authority: The authority record of the heading

Bibliographic Records: Same as above (9)

13 Select

Selects the authorized form for the bib heading and return to the bib record. The bib field is now authority-controlled.

14 The first left-matched entry

The list displays the matched headings in highlighted as the third in the list. It is preceded by two authority headings that are alphabetically before the match.

If your text string does not left-match any authority record, the third line will display Your entry would be here

For example, there is no match for "Twain, Mark, 1834"

View linked authority records

After you have linked a bibliographic heading to an authority record (10 or 13), an icon appears next to the field tag.

1) The type of icon indicates the nature of the linkage:

2) The presence of an icon is not necessarily a marker for a correct linkage. The icon only indicates if the bib heading matches the text string of an authorized heading.

A name heading can be linked to an undifferentiated name authority file or to a wrong identity, and displays the icon all the same.

3) Clicking on the icon displays the linked authority record.

Punctuation

Alma deletes the final period on a bibliographic heading to match the authority record. There is no need to re-add the period.

When a relationship designator is present, Alma will delete the comma before $e when you link the heading. There is no need to re-add it.

Known issue

As of 09/27/2021 "mixed" heading types don't link.

1) When Alma tries to link a 110 or 710, it only looks in LCNAMES with the tag 100 or 110, but not 151 (e.g., jurisdictions and Federally recognized Indian tribes) per Subject Headings Manual > H 405 Establishing Certain Entities in the Name or Subject Authority File > Group One - Name Authority Group Headings

For example, Princeton (N.J.) does not validate in bib 110, 710, only in 651.

2) When Alma tries to link a 600 or 610, it only looks in LCNAMES, not in LCSH for authority files with the tag 100 (e.g., families and clans) or 110 (e.g., castles and palaces) per Subject Headings Manual > H 405 Establishing Certain Entities in the Name or Subject Authority File > Group Two - Subject Authority Group Headings

For example, Kennedy family does not validate in bib 600.

Source

Ex Libris Knowledge Center > Using F3

Subject Headings Manual > H 405 Establishing Certain Entities in the Name or Subject Authority File

Library of Congress Subject Headings: Online Training > Module 4.4 Introduction to Descriptive Access Points as Subjects