Authority control Facts for Kids

Authority control is a special system used in libraries and places that manage lots of information. It helps make sure that names of people, places, topics, and even titles of books are always written the same way. Imagine if a library had books by "Mark Twain," "Samuel Clemens," and "S. L. Clemens." Without authority control, you might miss some books because they are listed under different names!

This system creates a clear link between all the items in a library's list (called a catalog) and a special file that holds the correct, official way to write each name or topic. It's like having a master list of approved terms. This makes the catalog easy to use and helps everyone find information quickly and accurately.

What is Authority Control?
- Why is it Important?
  - How Does it Work?
Examples of Authority Control
Images for kids
See also

What is Authority Control?

Authority control is a method used by librarians and information experts to organize huge amounts of information. Its main goal is to make sure that every time a specific person, place, or topic appears in a library's catalog, it's always written in the exact same way. This prevents confusion and helps you find everything related to what you're searching for.

Why is it Important?

Think about searching for a famous author like "William Shakespeare." If some books list him as "Shakespeare, William," others as "Mr. Shakespeare," and some just as "Shakespeare," it would be hard to find all his works. Authority control solves this problem by picking one official way to write his name, like "Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616."

Easier Searching: When names and topics are consistent, it's much simpler to find all related items. You don't have to guess different ways a name might be spelled or written.
Better Organization: It helps libraries keep their collections neat and tidy. This makes it easier for librarians to manage millions of books and other materials.
Clearer Information: It ensures that when you find a book, you know exactly who wrote it or what topic it covers, without any doubt.

How Does it Work?

Librarians create special records called "authority records." Each authority record focuses on one specific name, topic, or title. It includes:

The official, chosen way to write the name or topic (called a "heading").
Other ways the name or topic might be known (like nicknames or different spellings).
Notes that explain why a certain heading was chosen.

For example, an authority record for "Mark Twain" would have "Twain, Mark, 1835-1910" as the official heading. It would also list "Samuel Langhorne Clemens" as another form of his name. This way, if someone searches for "Samuel Clemens," the system can guide them to "Mark Twain."

Examples of Authority Control

Authority control is used for many different types of information in a library catalog.

Names of People

This is one of the most common uses. It ensures that famous people, authors, artists, and historical figures are consistently identified.

Example: Princess Diana might be officially listed as "Windsor, Diana, Princess of Wales." This helps distinguish her from other people named Diana and links all materials about her together.
Example: An author like Ken Kesey would have an official heading such as "Kesey, Ken."

Names of Places

Just like people, places can have different names or spellings over time. Authority control helps keep these consistent.

Example: A city might be known by its current name, but also by an older name. Authority control links them.

Topics and Subjects

When you search for books about a specific subject, authority control makes sure all books on that subject are grouped together, even if they use slightly different words in their titles.

Example: Books about "space travel" might also be listed under "astronautics" or "space exploration." Authority control connects these terms to one main subject heading.

Titles of Works

Sometimes, a book or song might be known by different titles, especially if it's been translated or republished many times. Authority control helps group all versions of the same work together.

Example: A classic novel might have many editions with slightly different titles. Authority control ensures they are all linked to the original work.

Images for kids

Princess Diana is described in one authority file as "Windsor, Diana, Princess of Wales" which is an official heading.
Card catalog records such as this one used to be physical cards contained in long rectangular drawers in a library; today, generally, this information is stored in online databases.
Authority control with "Kesey, Ken" as the chosen heading.