Name Authorities Metadata Working Group, November 15, 2013 Chew Chiat Naun
Context A few things to remember about the library authority file: Ostensibly comprehensive (though obviously not really) Cataloguers function as third party Access by filing order
Headings vs identifiers PCC Undifferentiated Names report Use of identifiers Potential to simplify rules Implications for good practice
Qualifiers vs attributes RDA separates attributes from headings Attributes seen as information in their own right
References vs relationships Authority files started life as cross-reference structures with two basic kinds of relationships: see and see-also. RDA drastically expands the range of relationships. Not just the names, but also the relationships need to be controlled.
References vs relationships MARC under strain, e.g. with multiple related identities 100 1# $w r $i Alternate identity: $a Orwell, George, $d # $w r $i Real identity: $a Blair, Eric Arthur, $d
Silos vs mashups Even expansion of relationships under RDA is not enough. Do you still try to fit everything in a single scheme, or mix and match?
Questions?