All large projects, especially those which are written over long periods of time or by a number of different authors, will have some inconsistency in names. The solution to such inherent inconsistencies is the use of an external file which contains records of the decisions made on how each name should be spelled, formatted, and under what part of the name it should be alphabetized. These files are called Name Authority Files. Once created, Authority Files "control" name entries into the index so that every name which is entered into the index is one of the authorized names in the Files. If the name is not yet in the file, it must be added, researched, and a decision made by using the rules developed for the index – and then entered into the Authority File before being entered into the index.

This webinar will answer these questions:

• What makes an Authority File an authority?
• How does creating an Authority File help the indexer(s) in completing large indexing projects?
• What has to be done to create a Name Authority File?
• Which sources will help the indexer to determine the format of special kinds of names, to differentiate between similar names, or to discover acceptable authorized names?

The Library of Congress Descriptive Cataloging Manual (DCM) contains local cataloging policy and practices for Library of Congress (LC) staff generally, and LC/NACO policies for name and series authority records (DCM sections Z1 and Z12). Listed below are the most current versions of the DCM files, available for free download. The LC Guidelines Supplement to the MARC 21 Format for Authority Data (to be used in conjunction with DCM section Z1) is also included here.

Note: The formatting of the files is inconsistent, due to their conversion from various source file formats. Some of the revision dates are estimated, based on the content. Some of the content is out-of-date and represents historical practice. Updates to the documents are made as time permits.