Authority control is defined as the process of using single, distinct, authorized forms of the name of a topical or named entity, such as a person, organization, or concept, for the purposes of describing the nature or subject(s) of a resource. “Authorized” in this context means that there is one particular established form of the name, to be used in all records in the cataloging and classification system. Such data is recorded in authority records; an assemblage of many authority records is called an authority file.
Special Collections and Archives uses ArchivesSpace as its local authority file for subject headings and the names of agents – that is, people, organizations, and families – who are creators or subjects of its collections and their constituent materials. Where possible, all subjects and agents established for local use are checked against existing authority files to determine if we can link to an established authority record. If this is not possible, an agent or subject heading may be quickly established by a processing archivist, then further refined and checked against authority files by a metadata technician in Digital Collections Services.
Subject headings are used in ArchivesSpace to indicate what archival resources are about; the forms in which they are expressed; the geographic or temporal coverage of those resources; or the uniform titles of bibliographic resources contained within the archival aggregate being described. In ArchivesSpace, the following subject term types are in use:
When establishing a subject heading against an existing authority file, it is important to note that different subject heading term types reference different authority files. At the University of Denver, the order of operations for referencing authority files in order to establish headings for each term type is as follows:
Always check the above name authorities databases and enter it exactly as it appears. If the record is inaccurate (dates are incorrect, etc.), contact the Digital Collections Librarian with documentation to support the change. Until it is changed, however, it should be entered in ArchivesSpace exactly as it appears in the referenced subject authority file.
When establishing local headings, following a consistent structure is important to ensure compatibility with outside subject authority practices. As these records could one day be aggregated into national and international authority files, we strive to be good citizens of such projects and ensure that when we contribute to such projects, we can do so with a minimum of up-front data maintenance.
Information about data entry for subject headings in ArchivesSpace may be found here.
There are three broad sub-categories for name authority headings in archival description:
Below is the order of operations for establishing a name authority heading against existing authority files:
When establishing a name authority heading locally, enter the name as it appears on the collection material, e.g. on the back of a photograph, in a title page or correspondence salutation, etc. Below is the order of operations for establishing a local form of name:
Do not use periods in establishing name headings unless they are after a person’s initials.
When creating name authority records for individuals, do not add prefixes (Mrs., Miss, Mr.) or titles (Dr., Rabbi, etc.) unless the only other identification we have on hand for the individual is their last name or their husband’s name (e.g. Schifman, Frank, Mrs.).
Information about data entry for name authority headings in ArchivesSpace may be found at the following links: