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At 07:09 AM 10/27/2006, Joseph, Angelina wrote: >Gary: >If somebody knows the dob of the author and has the time to add >it to the authority record, why don't we let that person do that >by changing the rule a little so that it can be done. If a conflict >arises later, there will be less work at that time. Since you ask: Changing the non-embarrassing heading simply because more information is available--i.e., in the absence of a conflict--means that everyone else who uses the shared authority file has to do heading maintenance, too. The side-effects of the change aren't limited to a single catalog. Here are some recent examples: in LC names issue 2006/42, the heading "Silva, Eduardo da" was changed to "Silva, Eduardo da, 1948-" although there is no evidence in the authority file that there was a problem to be solved. (The changing institution also didn't think it was important enough to change the associated name/title heading.) In 2006/41 "Godo, Yoshihisa" changed to "Godo, Yoshihisa, 1962-" without evidence of a conflict. What, exactly, is the good that's being served by these changes? Contrast these with the change in 2006/42 from "Rose, Thomas" to "Rose, Thomas, 1959-", which had to be changed to make way for a new "Rose, Thomas" for whom no date or other distinguishing information was available. Now, if the "old" heading contains one date, in my own case there is actually no problem because with our authority loader (only works for Voyager, sadly) when a personal name with subfield $d changes to another personal name with subfield $d the batch change happens without any operator intervention. But if a personal name with no date changes, except in certain limited circumstances (the details would obscure my point) the change must come under operator review. I assume that a similar degree of operator review is required at other institutions. All this involves cost; and if it's a cost without visible benefit, it's a cost we don't need to bear. Gary L. Strawn, Authorities Librarian, etc. Northwestern University, 1970 Campus Drive, Evanston IL 60208-2300 e-mail: [log in to unmask] voice: 847/491-2788 fax: 847/491-8306 Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.