Virtual International Authority File facts for kids
The Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) is a special project that helps libraries around the world organize information. It's like a giant online address book for authors, artists, and other important people. VIAF makes it easier for libraries to share information and for you to find books and articles by the same person, even if their name is spelled differently in various places. It is run by a group called the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC).
How VIAF Started
The idea for VIAF began in 1998. Two big libraries, the German National Library and the U.S. Library of Congress, worked together to start this project. By 2003, VIAF was officially created and ready to be used. Sometimes, you might even see VIAF numbers added to Wikipedia articles about famous people. This helps connect their Wikipedia page to their official library records.
Libraries Working Together
Many libraries from different countries work together to make VIAF possible. They all share their information to create one big, organized system. This helps everyone find what they are looking for more easily. Here are some of the libraries that are part of VIAF:
| English-language name | Native-language name (if non-English) | Location | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Institute for the Union Catalogue of Italian Libraries and Bibliographic Information | Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo Unico | Rome | Italy |
| German National Library | Deutsche Nationalbibliothek | Frankfurt | Germany |
| Getty Research Institute | – | Los Angeles, California | United States |
| Library and Archives Canada | Bibliothèque et Archives Canada | Ottawa, Ontario | Canada |
| Library of Alexandria | Bibliotheca Alexandrina | Alexandria | Egypt |
| Library of Congress (NACO consortium) | – | Washington, D.C. | United States |
| National Library of Australia | – | Canberra | Australia |
| National Library of France | Bibliothèque nationale de France | Paris | France |
| National Library of Israel | הספרייה הלאומית | Jerusalem | Israel |
| National Library of Portugal | Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal | Lisbon | Portugal |
| National Library of Spain | Biblioteca Nacional de España | Madrid | Spain |
| National Library of Sweden | Kungliga Biblioteket | Stockholm | Sweden |
| National Library of the Czech Republic | Národní knihovna České republiky | Prague | Czech Republic |
| National Széchényi Library | Országos Széchényi Könyvtár | Budapest | Hungary |
| RERO: Library Network of Western Switzerland | Réseau des bibliothèques de Suisse occidentale or Westschweizer Bibliothekverbund | Switzerland | |
| French university library consortium | Système universitaire de documentation | France | |
| Swiss National Library | Schweizerische Nationalbibliothek, Bibliothèque nationale suisse, Biblioteca nazionale svizzera, Rete delle bibliotheche della Svizzera occidentale | Berne | Switzerland |
| NUKAT: Union Catalogue of Polish Research Libraries | NUKAT: katalog zbiorów polskich bibliotek naukowych | Poland | |
| Vatican Library | Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana | – | Vatican City |
See also
In Spanish: Fichero de Autoridades Virtual Internacional para niños
