NARA’s New Authority Sources:NARA’s New Authority Sources:Authority Files and Thesauri in ARCAuthority Files and Thesauri in ARC

C. Jerry SimmonsC. Jerry Simmons

Authority Team Leader, Lifecycle Coordination StaffAuthority Team Leader, Lifecycle Coordination Staff

National Archives and Records AdministrationNational Archives and Records Administration

CENDI Workshop, September 16, 2004CENDI Workshop, September 16, 2004

ARC (Archival Research Catalog):ARC (Archival Research Catalog):

NARA’s new online catalog/information systemNARA’s new online catalog/information system Record group, collection, series, file unit, and Record group, collection, series, file unit, and

item level descriptions and agency historiesitem level descriptions and agency histories Access via by creator, title, and access pointsAccess via by creator, title, and access points Authority control for all access point typesAuthority control for all access point types Authority files and thesauri created centrallyAuthority files and thesauri created centrally Access points applied locally by NARA catalogersAccess points applied locally by NARA catalogers NARA catalogers propose new access pointsNARA catalogers propose new access points Authority Team does authority catalogingAuthority Team does authority cataloging

What is ARC?What is ARC?

Archival Research CatalogArchival Research Catalog NARAs’ agency-wide description toolNARAs’ agency-wide description tool Replaced NAIL Replaced NAIL (National Archives Information Locator)(National Archives Information Locator) NARA’s first application of description standardsNARA’s first application of description standards Contains NARA’s new authority sourcesContains NARA’s new authority sources NARA’s first attempt at authority controlNARA’s first attempt at authority control

NARA’s authority sources …NARA’s authority sources …

Accessible from the ARC client server desktopAccessible from the ARC client server desktop Person name headingsPerson name headings Corporate (organization) name headingsCorporate (organization) name headings Meeting/conference name headingsMeeting/conference name headings Topical subject termsTopical subject terms Geographic place name headingsGeographic place name headings Genre (specific records type) termsGenre (specific records type) terms Uniform titles (planned for a future release)Uniform titles (planned for a future release)

Person names:Person names:

Source: Library of Congress Name Authority FileSource: Library of Congress Name Authority File NARA authority catalogers add and edit namesNARA authority catalogers add and edit names MARC authority format for person namesMARC authority format for person names NARA catalogers enter new names via NACONARA catalogers enter new names via NACO

Corporate (organization) names:Corporate (organization) names:

Source: Library of Congress Name Authority FileSource: Library of Congress Name Authority File AACR2/MARC for non-federal namesAACR2/MARC for non-federal names Authority catalogers create federal names in full Authority catalogers create federal names in full

hierarchyhierarchy

Example:Example:

Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Administration. Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Administration. Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. Division of Truck Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. Division of Truck Crops and Garden Insect Investigations. (1942-1953)Crops and Garden Insect Investigations. (1942-1953)

Meeting/Conference names:Meeting/Conference names:

Source: Library of Congress Name Authority FileSource: Library of Congress Name Authority File NARA catalogers create/edit names as neededNARA catalogers create/edit names as needed AARC2/MARC for meeting and conference namesAARC2/MARC for meeting and conference names

Topical subject terms:Topical subject terms:

NARA’s DE800 Subject Authority as a foundationNARA’s DE800 Subject Authority as a foundation Main headings (Main headings (‡a subfield) only from LCSHa subfield) only from LCSH No subdivided terms in ARC’s data modelNo subdivided terms in ARC’s data model Establish terms locally when necessaryEstablish terms locally when necessary Thesaurus is ANSI/NISO Z39.19-1993-2003 Thesaurus is ANSI/NISO Z39.19-1993-2003

compliantcompliant Authority catalogers contribute to LCSH via SACOAuthority catalogers contribute to LCSH via SACO

Geographic place names:Geographic place names:

Source: Getty’s Thesaurus of Geographic NamesSource: Getty’s Thesaurus of Geographic Names Authority catalogers establish names locallyAuthority catalogers establish names locally Full TGN hierarchy shown in authority and catalog Full TGN hierarchy shown in authority and catalog

record:record:

Example:Example:

Savannah (Chatham county, Georgia, United Savannah (Chatham county, Georgia, United States, North and Central America) inhabited States, North and Central America) inhabited placeplace

Genre (specific records type) terms:Genre (specific records type) terms:

Source: Getty’s Art and Architecture ThesaurusSource: Getty’s Art and Architecture Thesaurus NARA authority catalogers establish terms locallyNARA authority catalogers establish terms locally AAT display shown in ARC catalog recordsAAT display shown in ARC catalog records

Examples:Examples:

articles of incorporationarticles of incorporation

artists’ proofsartists’ proofs

diariesdiaries

lithographic engravingslithographic engravings

reportsreports

Uniform titles:Uniform titles:

No uniform title authority file or data element in No uniform title authority file or data element in ARCARC

Proposing a new authority file and data element Proposing a new authority file and data element Headings will be translated from LCNAF or Headings will be translated from LCNAF or

created locallycreated locally NARA catalogers will propose new uniform titles NARA catalogers will propose new uniform titles

as neededas needed

ARC on the Web:ARC on the Web:

http://www.archives.gov/research_room/arc/http://www.archives.gov/research_room/arc/ Basic and Advanced search optionsBasic and Advanced search options Variety of filtered search strategiesVariety of filtered search strategies Digital image attachments for item-level recordsDigital image attachments for item-level records Keyword searching: archival descriptions, agency Keyword searching: archival descriptions, agency

histories, and subject access pointshistories, and subject access points Advanced search offers authority lookup featureAdvanced search offers authority lookup feature

Future plans for ARC Web:Future plans for ARC Web:

Reengineering for appearance and functionalityReengineering for appearance and functionality Plain-language for data field labelsPlain-language for data field labels Reformatting for record displaysReformatting for record displays Filter searches for geographic and genre termsFilter searches for geographic and genre terms New searches for person and organization namesNew searches for person and organization names Links for AAD (Access to Archival Databases)Links for AAD (Access to Archival Databases)

Our participation in CENDI:Our participation in CENDI:

NARA authority catalogers desire networkingNARA authority catalogers desire networking Citing other agencies thesauri as sources in ARCCiting other agencies thesauri as sources in ARC Sharing research information for developmentSharing research information for development