Authority Control

Authority control is the expression used for the process of governing and maintaining headings for bibliographic information in a library’s catalog. The headings can include name, subject, series and uniform titles, as well as genre headings. Through the use of authority records, authority control generates a way of establishing consistent heading forms.

Authority records are used to determine headings used in bibliographic records. It allows librarians to catalog their materials that have comparable* *or* *identical headings. Using an established authority record, librarians are able to catalog material that logically belongs together. This helps librarians organize their material and also provides patrons an easier path in finding the materials they are looking for.