Authority Control in the 21st Century: An Invitational Conference
Authority Control in the 21st Century: An Invitational Conference
As a background to my paper, I would like to give a brief description of the political situation in Southern Africa as I am going to use the Southern African situation as an example.
The past 20 years in Southern Africa has been a time of social upheaval and political change. Many countries have gained independence from colonial powers and, as the political situation changed, so did the names of countries, cities and geographic features.
The democratic elections in South Africa during April 1994 and the subsequent promulgation of a new Interim Constitution resulted in significant regional changes. Before 1994 South Africa was divided into four provinces: Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. After the elections these became nine: Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Orange Free State, KwaZulu/Natal, North-West, Eastern Transvaal, Northern Transvaal and PWV. The Constitution of 1910 specified two official languages, namely Afrikaans and English, however the new Interim Constitution of 1994 gives equal rights to 11 official languages. You can imagine the implications for authority files.
Before 1994, South Africa had ten or more education departments for various population groups, each offering an equivalent qualification. However, the standard of education offered by these departments, varied considerably. This resulted from unequal priority being given to the education of various population groups.
Libraries in South Africa therefore have to cater for users across the educational spectrum. There are sophisticated users with knowledge of and access to a wide range of modern technological tools and unsophisticated users who are educationally disadvantaged, have never used a library and lack even basic computer skills.
Geographic names are an important component of any authority file. They are widely used in many different situations, either as headings on their own or as qualifiers for corporate headings.
The purpose of this presentation is:
The 1910 Constitution of the Union of South Africa stated that Afrikaans and English were the official languages of the Union for all purposes of the Government. Both languages enjoyed equal status and rights. That meant that all official documents were published in Afrikaans and English.
The Interim Constitution of 1994 changed that situation. Equal status is now given to eleven languages, but the language(s) for official publications has not yet been specified. This means that official publications can be published in one, or eleven languages. Most provinces are still publishing all their official documents in Afrikaans and English. Three provinces have adopted an official language policy and that is to publish their official documents in Afrikaans, English and the predominant Black language in that province.
The extent and nature of bilingualism in a bibliographic system is determined by policy. There are two major policy areas to be addressed: the language of descriptive cataloguing and the language of access points.
There were four policy options for South Africa regarding the language of descriptive cataloguing.
This decision was taken as a result of economic considerations, because a large proportion of records for the material we acquire and process is available from the Library of Congress and OCLC.
The second policy decision to be made is the language of access points. With access points, language becomes especially important, because it is by means of access points that users find items in the catalogue. There are various policy options:
As said before, this decision was based on economic constraints. It makes it possible to utilize external resources such as Library of Congress Name Authorities, etc. However, we often have to make more references for a heading than specified by the Library of Congress.
Example:
Free State (South Africa)The name of the Orange Free State was changed to Free State Province, with effect from 29 June 1995.
Afrikaans name: Vrystaat.x Vrystaat (Suid-Afrika)
x Free State Province (South Africa)
x Free State (South Africa : Province)
xx Orange Free State (South Africa)Orange Free State (South Africa)
The name of the Province was changed to Free State Province, with effect from 29 June 1995.
Use this heading for the governments under the National Party (1948-1994), as well as for the ANC government since May 1994.
Afrikaans name: Oranje-Vrystaat.x Orange Free State (Province)
x Orange Free State. Provincial Administration
x Oranje-Vrystaat (Suid-Afrika)
x Oranje-Vrystaat (Provinsie)
x Oranje-Vrystaat. Provinsiale Administrasie
xx Free State (South Africa)
Example:
Eastern Cape (South Africa)Use this heading for the new province since May 1994.
This region was earlier part of the Transkei and Cape of Good Hope.
Afrikaans name: Oos-Kaap.
Xhosa name: Iphondo Lempuma Koloni.
x Province of the Eastern Cape (South Africa)
x Provinsie Oos-Kaap (Suid-Afrika)
x Oos-Kaap (Suid-Afrika)
x Iphondo Lempuma Koloni
x Eastern Cape Province (South Africa)
x Oos-Kaap Provinsie (Suid-Afrika)
xx Transkei (South Africa)
xx Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
The first step in creating an authority record is deciding whether a particular name is to be entered as a geographic name, corporate body or topical subject heading. In the most cases the choice may seem obvious, but in case of doubt, the Library of Congress has provided a list of difficult entities in the Subject Cataloguing Manual. It may be surprising to discover that what seemed an obvious geographic name is actually either a corporate body or a topical geographic heading. For example, tunnels are considered geographic names, shopping centres are corporate bodies and railway stations are considered topical subject headings.
Then one must determine whether or not the geographic name represents a political jurisdiction. Geographic names fall into two categories: names of political jurisdictions and nonjurisdictional geographic names. Cities, counties and countries are political jurisdictions and are governed by the rules in Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (2nd. rev ed.), chapter 23, rule 24.6 and the Library of Congress Rule Interpretations for these rules. Non-jurisdictional geographic names apply to geographic features such as rivers, archaeological sites and parks. For the rest of this paper, I am going to concentrate on political jurisdictions.
After deciding that the geographic name is a political jurisdiction the next step is to look for the following information in various reference sources:
Fortunately for us, there is an institution like the Library of Congress which makes our authority work much easier. If the geographic name is in the Library of Congress Name Authorities, we use the form as it is found there. We do however, sometimes feel the need to add more references.
Example:
South AfricaConventional name: Republic of South Africa.x IUzhno-Afrikanskii Soiuz
x Republic of South Africa
x IUzhno-Afrikanskaia Respublika
x Juznoafricki savez
x Republika Poludniowej Afryki
x Union of South Africa
x Suid-Afrika
x Südafrikanische Republik
x Unie van Suid-Afrika
x IUAR
x IU.A.R.
x Derom Afrikah
x Republica da Africa do Sul
x Azania
x Süd Afrika
x Südafrika
x Dorem-Afrike
x RSA
x R.S.A.
x Republiek van Suid-Afrika
x Umzantsi Afrika
x Ningizimu Afrika
x Afrika Borwa
If the name is not in the Library of Congress Name Authorities, we accept the predominant form of the name found in reference sources as the heading. Names that are not predominant, are used as references.
We use the following reference sources in establishing the predominant form:
Chambers world gazetteer : an A-Z of geographical information.
1988. Cambridge : Chambers.
Columbia Lippincott gazetteer of the world.
1970. Morningside Heights, N.Y. : Columbia University Press.
Rand McNally commercial atlas and marketing guide.
1876- . New York : Rand McNally.
Qualifiers are used to distinguish between two identical names. They can however be assigned even when there in no need to distinguish between names. Rules for the use of qualifiers for jurisdictional names can be found in AACR2R rules 23.4 and 24.6.
Geographic names are usually qualified by the name of the country in which they are found whether they are political jurisdictions or not. There are however exceptions (e.g. Australia, Canada, United States, etc.).
Example:
Johannesburg (South Africa)x Johannesburg (Suid-Afrika)
x Rhawutini (South Africa)
There are different ways of distinguishing between two places with identical names in AACR2R rule 23.4F1. The first instruction to the cataloguer is to add a word or phrase commonly used to distinguish between the two names. If no such word or phrase is appropiate the rule requires the addition of an appropriate narrower geographic qualification before the name of the larger place.
Example:
Middelburg (Mpumalanga, South Africa)
Middelburg (Eastern Cape, South Africa)
Heidelberg (Gauteng, South Africa)
Heidelberg (Western Cape, South Africa)
Heidelberg (Germany)
If governments with the same name cannot be distinguished using AACR2R 23.4, rule 24.6 instructs the cataloguer to add the type of jurisdiction, if it is other than a city or town. If this does not provide enough distinction, an appropriate word or phrase is added.
If two governments lay claim to jurisdiction over the same area, the cataloguer is instructed to add a suitable designation to one or each of the governments, followed by the inclusive years of its existance.
Example:
AngolaForeign names information bulletin, 1994- :
Brief name, Angola, Conventional name: Republic of Angola.x Volksrepublik Angola
x Portuguese West Africa
x Africa, Portuguese West
x Narodnaia Respublika Angoly
x Anghula
x People's Republic of Angola
x Republica Popular de Angola
x Provincia de Angola (Portugal)
x Province d'Angola (Portugal)
x Colonia de Angola (Portugal)
x Estado de Angola (Portugal)
x R.P.A.
x RPA
x Republic of Angola
x Republica de Angola
xx Angola (Revolutionary government in exile, 1962-1975)
Angola (Revolutionary government in exile, 1962-1975)
xx Angola
AACR2R divides "see" references into two broad categories: different names and different forms of names. Rule 26.3A3 tells the cataloguer to refer from forms of names used, or found in reference sources, or resulting from a different romanization of the name if they differ significantly from the form used in the heading for that place. The word "significantly" in the rule has become obsolete as the use of online catalogues makes it imperative to create references for different forms of the name even if they differ only slightly from the form in the heading. Typical instances of these different forms as being different language forms, different spellings, and different romanization.
Example:
German Southwest AfricaLater name: South-West Africa.x German South-West Africa
x Duits-Suidwes Afrika
x Duitswes
xx South-West AfricaSouth-West Africa
Use this heading for publications with imprint dates of 1968 or earlier.
Earlier name: German Southwest Africa.
Later name: Namibia.x Suidwes-Afrika
x Südwestafrika
x Sydvastafrika
x Süd-Quest africain
x Suidwes
x Southwest
xx German Southwest Africa
xx NamibiaNamibia
Namibia gained independence from South Africa, 3/21/90.
Brief name: Namibia. Conventional name: Republic of Namibia.
Former name: South-West Africa.
Use this heading for publications with imprint dates of 1969 or later.x Namibiia
x Namibië
x SWA/Namibia
x SWA/Namibië
x S.W.A./Namibia
x Republic of Namibia
x Republiek van Namibië
xx South-West Africa
Rule 26.3B1 instructs the making of "see also" references between independently entered but related corporate headings. Library of Congress Rule Interpretations adds that changes in geographic names are handled in the same way as corporate bodies. "See also" references for political jurisdictions mainly result from a change of name.
Whenever a geographic entity undergoes a change in name, an attempt should be made to relate the earlier and the later name headings in the authority file to the currently used heading with see also references.
Example:
Transvaal (South Africa)Use this heading for publications with imprint dates of 1994 or earlier.
The Transvaal Province was divided after May 1994 into: PWV, Eastern Transvaal, Northern Transvaal and part of the North-West Province.x Transvaal (Suid-Afrika)
x Transvaal Province
x Transvaal Province (South Africa)
x Transvaal (South Africa : Province)
x Transvaalse Provinsie
xx PWV (South Africa)
xx Eastern Transvaal (South Africa)
xx Northern Transvaal (South Africa)
xx North-West (South Africa)PWV (South Africa)
Use this heading for publications between May 1994 and June 1995.
This name changed to: Gauteng in June 1995.
This region was earlier part of the Transvaal Province.
Prefer acronym: Provincial government confirmed official use of acronym.x PWV (Suid-Afrika)
x Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging (South Africa)
x Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vereeniging (Suid-Afrika)
xx Transvaal (South Africa)
xx Gauteng (South Africa)Gauteng (South Africa)
This name official since 29 June 1995.
Earlier name: PWV.
This region was earlier part of the Transvaal Province.x Gauteng (Suid-Afrika)
x Gauteng Province (South Africa)
x Gauteng Provinsie (Suid-Afrika)
x Provinsie Gauteng
x Province of Gauteng
xx Transvaal (South Africa)
xx PWV (South Africa)
Notes are important when dealing with geographic name changes as they help the user to place a geographic name or name change in context. There are basicly two types of notes, namely notes giving information and notes that explain.
Information notes provide additional information for complex headings that enables users to search the catalogue more effectively. They are also used to explain see and see also references and sketch the history of geographic names that have undergone several changes. The form of the note can vary greatly, but whatever wording is chosen, the note should be concise, clear and direct.
Example:
Walvis Bay (Namibia)Situated in the southwest coast of southern Africa, slightly north of the Tropic of Capricorn and west of 15 E in the Republic of Namibia.
1,124 sq km enclave; remained under South African jurisdiction after Namibian independence.
Integrated into Namibia in March 1994.xx Walvis Bay (South Africa)
Walvis Bay (South Africa)
Walvis Bay is owned by South Africa, not Namibia.
Remained under South African jurisdiction after Namibian independence; integrated into Namibia in March 1994.x Walvisbaai (South Africa)
x Walfish Bay (South Africa)
x Walwich Bay (South Africa)
x Walfisch Bay (South Africa)
x Walvisbaai (Suid-Afrika)
xx Walvis Bay (Namibia)
An explanatory note provides the definition and scope of a heading and gives guidance in its use and should be clear, concise and unambiguous.
Example:
South Africa. President (1994- : Mandela)Here are entered works of the President acting in his official capacity. For other works, see Mandela, Nelson, 1918-x Suid-Afrika. President (1994- : Mandela)
xx Mandela, Nelson, 1918-Mandela, Nelson, 1918-
For works of the President acting in his official capacity, see South Africa. President (1994- : Mandela)x Mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla, 1918-
xx South Africa. President (1994- : Mandela)
When automated systems were first developed to control bibliographic information, many librarians thought that the need for authority control in cataloguing would be eliminated. Advantages of keyword searching, particularly with Boolean operators would bring the entire library catalogue to searchers' fingertips. Although keyword searching is a powerful retrieval technique, it cannot replace the valuable linking and guiding functions provided by authority control. As shown, it is only through true authority control that geographic name changes can be traced. It is clear to me that authority control must continue to play an important role in the construction and maintenance of bibliographic databases.
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