About Authorities: Format and indexes

Scope

Authorities: Format and Indexes provides details on selected topics that catalogers need to identify and verify information in bibliographic and/or authority records via the OCLC® authority file. It does not cover procedures for finding, creating, modifying, saving, or exporting authority records. Nor does it explain specialized functions such as replacing name authority records or creating records and adding them to the authority file.

Additional documentation

Bibliographic records

For comprehensive information about WorldCat bibliographic records, see OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards.

Audience

Authorities: Format and Indexes contains detailed authorities-related information that can assist the following library staff:

• Fully authorized NACO (Name Authority Cooperative Program) participants who lock, edit, and replace name authority records, and/or add new records
• Cataloging users at NACO institutions who lock and edit name authority records prior to verification by authorized NACO users at their institution
• Cataloging users at non-NACO institutions who edit and save authority records locally and verify names and titles when updating and/or enhancing WorldCat™ bibliographic records
• Public services, reference, resource sharing, and acquisitions staff who verify names and titles for local use or for interlibrary loan

Superseded documentation

Authorities: Format and Indexes supersedes the third edition of the Authorities User Guide.