AUTHORITY CHECKING IN ALEPH

I. Some general information

LCA10 (the LC authority file in Aleph) and links to that file (labeled as “LC PROD Resource” in headings lists): This file has not been updated since early March 2004. At times, you may need to check LTLC (in LUIS), which will continue to be as up-to-date as it has been, and/or the LC authority file in OCLC.

Any NACO headings should be created in OCLC and checked in the LC authority file in OCLC.
(We hope that LCA10 will be updated regularly (like LTLC) by mid- to late summer.)

Staff may find it helpful to open the Search module along with the Cataloging module. You can search in LCA10 in the Staff Module and cut and paste from there into your cataloging record.

Making a printout of an authority record: If you have clicked on “Expand” to view an authority record and you want to make a printout, click on “Select.” Go to the File menu, then go to Print. When the “Print Format” window appears, click on “OK.” When the next window appears, hit “Enter” or click on “Print.” Close the window having the MARC view of the authority record.

II. Procedure for all cataloging

Before beginning authority checking, click on the “Check Record” icon.
Make needed changes to bib record based on the validation error messages.
Important! If you get a message that a heading is a “new heading and not in the authority database” be sure to check it carefully for typos as well as doing authority checking as mentioned below. (Students should highlight heading on printout and give printout to supervisor.) (The reason: Once changes to the bib record are saved to the server, this “new heading” message will not appear again for this record or any other record in the future with the exact same heading.)

Series headings (440, 490, 800, 810, 811, 830 fields)

Note: If a series appears in both a 490 and an 8xx field, you only need to check it once

A) If the heading begins with a grammatical article (a, an, the, la, der, etc.):
Highlight the part of the heading after the article and copy it.
Click on heading.
Press “F3”
A browse list of headings appears
Click on “Jump to” button or type Alt+j
Highlight what is in the box that opens and paste in the part of the heading after the article.
“Enter” or click “OK”
A browse list of headings appears.
Look at the heading that is highlighted. See which of the 5 cases below applies, and follow the instructions for the particular case.
Important!! Do NOT click on the “OK” button (If you do, whatever heading is highlighted in the browse list will automatically be pasted into your bib record.)

B) If the heading does NOT begin with a grammatical article:
Click on heading in the bib record.
Press “F3”
A browse list of headings appears.
Look at the heading that is highlighted. See which of the 5 cases below applies, and follow the instructions for the particular case.
Important!! Do NOT click on the “OK” button (If you do, whatever heading is highlighted in the browse list will automatically be pasted into your bib record.)

Case no. 1 “UF Aut (UFU10)” followed by a number beginning with “1” in the Auth. Info. column next to your heading: Your heading matches our local series authority record. Click on “Expand” to view the authority record. Make sure the authority record is for the series on the item you are cataloging. If it is, check to see how our library treats the series. Make changes to the bib record and call no. as needed.

Case no. 2 “UF Aut (UFU10)” followed by a number beginning with “4” in the Auth. Info. column next to your heading: Your heading matches a cross-reference in our local series authority record. Click on “Expand” to view the authority record. Make sure the authority record is for the series on the item you are cataloging. If it is, check to see how our library treats the series. Make sure the correct form of the series is in the 8xx field in your bib record. Make changes to the bib record and call no. as needed.

Case no. 3 “LC PROD Resource” followed by a number beginning with “1”in the Auth. Info. column next to your heading: Your heading matches the LC series authority record. Click on “Expand” to view the authority record. Make sure the authority record is for the series on the item you are cataloging. Follow LC’s treatment of the series. Make changes to the bib record and call no. as needed. Please make a printout of the series authority record and put in basket by Gerald’s desk (until further notice)

Case no. 4 “LC PROD Resource” followed by a number beginning with “4”in the Auth. Info. column next to your heading: Your heading matches a cross-reference in the LC series authority record. Click on “Expand” to view the authority record. Make sure the authority record is for the series on the item you are cataloging. Follow LC’s treatment of the series. Make sure the correct form of the series is in the 8xx field in your bib record. Make changes to the bib record and call no. as needed. Please make a printout of the series authority record and put in basket by Gerald’s desk (until further notice)

Case no. 5 Nothing in the Auth. Info. column next to your heading: Look at the headings near the highlighted heading to see if you can find a match. If you find a match, highlight the heading and then proceed as instructed in the appropriate case above. If no match is found, students should give printout of bib record to supervisor for further checking. Other staff should search carefully in different ways to see if a series authority record exists. Search first in UFU10 (our local authority file). Then search in LCA10 (the LC authority file in Aleph) and/or LTLC in LUIS. If you still cannot find an authority record, create a local series authority record.

Creating a local series authority record:
Important! First connect to UFU10
Go to the File menu, then to Connect to, then click on UFU10
OR Right click on the “Parthenon” icon in the lower right corner of the screen and click on UFU10
Go back to the File menu, then to Open Template.
Choose from the following templates:
SERTRNUM.MRC (for a traced, numbered title series)
SERTRUNN.MRC (for a traced, unnumbered title series)
SERUNTRN.MRC (for an untraced, numbered title series)
SERUNTRU.MRC (for an untraced, unnumbered title series)

Fill in template, replacing the prompts in square brackets with the appropriate information.
Remember to save your record to the server!
Please make a printout of the record you created and put in basket by Gerald’s desk (at least during May and June 2004)

III. Additional procedures for copy cataloging that is not DLC or BIBCO full-level, and for original cataloging:

Name headings (100, 110, 111, 700, 710, 711 fields)

Check all corporate names (110, 111, 710, 711 fields)
Check all personal names (100, 700 fields), in particular those which:

1. have a conflict between the form in the 100 or 700 field and the 245 subfield c
2. seem problematic in cataloger’s judgment