Characteristics of the 670 Field in Records for Names in the Anglo-American Authority File |
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| Abstract: | Increasing amounts of time and expense required to provide authority control for OPACS has stimulated interest in the automated generation of name authority records. At the same time, national cooperative cataloging programs such as NACO are seeking participants on a wider scale. A better understanding of the nature of authority records, the possibilities and limitations of the machine creation, and the resources needed for institutions to participate in national programs is needed to assist decision making in these areas. THe 670 field is used to justify the form and content of established headings and their cross references. The 670 fields from national level name authority records pertaining to the subject area of the Catholic Church were examined. Information was sought on the number of 670s per record, on the types of work cited, and on the works themselves. Findings indicate that considerable difference exist among the categories of authority records, with some (modern personal names and uniform titles) being more amenable to machine generation. It was also possible to tentatively identify a core reference for authority work in a subject area. |
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