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The situation would be better if OCLC had a method of integrated authority control more comprehensive than their controlled headings.  Whatever mechanism we have for reflecting changes to the LCNAF in our own catalogs, we continually introduce outdated forms of name.  Of course, there are various methods of authority control for incoming headings, but it is simpler to change umpteen headings in a swoop than to change another umpteen as they trickle in, especially in cases that require human judgment.

This is especially true of formerly undifferentiated names.  Though it is an admirable goal to differentiate all names, I wonder how well our catalogs are following the rapidly evolving authority file.  Does anybody know of any attempt to measure this?

Amy

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From: Program for CoToperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cuneo, Mary Jane
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2016 7:52 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] Authority updates and BFM

I’ll get in trouble for saying this, but so what?  The file maintenance is not an unbearable burden.

Hi Charles,
Not unbearable, but a great pain in the rear, & time that could be spent doing more useful things.  (From someone who, with colleagues, gets a report every month and slogs through it).

Mary Jane Cuneo
Senior Serials Cataloger & NACO coordinator
Harvard Library

From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Herrold, Charles
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2016 11:47 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Authority updates and BFM

    I’ll get in trouble for saying this, but so what?  The file maintenance is not an unbearable burden.
    However, before anyone goes off the rails, I will also say that John is right, of course, as the name is unique and doesn’t need dates.  The only serious objection I have is that, incredibly, LC provided no justification in the record for the death date:

010  n  84216417
040  DLC ǂb eng ǂe rda ǂc DLC ǂd DLC
046  ǂf 1917-02-06 ǂg 2016-12-18
1001 Gabor, Zsa Zsa, ǂd 1917-2016
370  Budapest (Hungary) ǂb Los Angeles (Calif.) ǂ2 naf
374  Actors ǂa Socialites ǂ2 lcsh
375  female
4001 Gábor, Sári, ǂd 1917-2016
4001 Gábor, Zsa Zsa ǂw nne
670  Such devoted sisters, 1985: ǂb CIP galley (Zsa Zsa Gábor)
670  Filmgoers companion, 1977 ǂb (Zsa Zsa Gábor; b. 1919 [sic])
670  LC data base, 9/10/84 ǂb (hdg.: Gábor, Zsa Zsa)
670  IMDb, May 9, 2008 ǂb (Zsa Zsa Gabor; b. Feb. 6, 1917, Budapest, Austria-Hungary; birth name: Sári Gábor; unclear as to Zsa Zsa's birth date)

      Maybe the LC cataloger should just add that essential information and remove the dates from the access points.

Chuck Herrold
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh



From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Hostage
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2016 11:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [PCCLIST] Authority updates and BFM

Zsa Zsa Gabor was laid to rest in the authority file last night.  The access point that previously had no dates now has birth and death dates.  Why?

------------------------------------------
John Hostage
Senior Continuing Resources Cataloger
Harvard Library--Information and Technical Services
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Harvard Law School Library
Cambridge, MA 02138
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