Authority Control in the Public Library

Every heading and cross-reference in an authority record adds to your catalog’s web of access points, enhancing discovery and putting relevant content into a patron’s hands. Maintaining authorized name and subject headings across thousands or even millions of records is a perpetual challenge. Automation makes authority control manageable, but some librarians are hesitant to turn their catalogs over to a one-size-fits-all algorithm. We believe that partnering with an authority control vendor should give you more control over your catalog, not less. In this webinar, Backstage’s Casey Cheney explores factors that affect a public library’s authority control needs. She discusses common processing choices among our public library clients and how to select these options in your Backstage profile.