Subject authority control in a computerised system: use of CDMARC Subjects in an academic library
| Pages | 311-316 |
| Published date | 01 April 1993 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045253 |
| Date | 01 April 1993 |
| Author | D.M. Mbaakanyi,F.N. Ubogu,E. Lumande |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Article
Subject authority control in
a computerised
system:
use
of CDMARC Subjects in an
academic library
D.M. Mbaakanyi, F.N. Ubogu and
E. Lumande
University
of
Botswana
Library,
Gaborone,
Botswana
Abstract: Authority control is one of the methods
designed to maintain the quality and integrity of the
catalogue as a bibliographic
tool,
bringing together the
variant forms of the same
material,
the same author and the
same
subject.
A controlled subject heading structure makes
it possible to effect a comprehensive search, as does name
authority
control,
thereby enabling the patron to receive full
information about the actual holdings of the library.
The paper discusses the planning for and ultimate use of the
CD-MARC Subjects in
the
Library of the University of
Botswana.
The
Library of Congress Subject Headings
(LCSH) is the controlled vocabulary used
in
assigning
subject headings in the Library. The Library realised the
desirability to control the subject heading files in the
automated system to ensure integrity of the files and opted to
do this using the CD-MARC Subjects.
The structure of the records of the CD-MARC Subjects was
mapped to corresponding fields in the thesaurus structure of
our system software, TINlib, and made available to our
vendor.
The thesaurus structure has provision for
references and notes associated
with
subject headings
including use, use for (UF), see also broader terms (BT), see
also narrower terms (NT), see also related terms (RT), and
scope note. Our approach to references that could lead to
blind alleys is to print out each 360 field in the database and
enter the headings given as examples as thesaurus terms.
These terms would automatically have postings assigned to
them.
The contents of the relevant records in the CD-MARC
Subjects were to be imported as is without change of
punctuation pattern. A profile was subsequently written that
enables the downloading of terms that are connected to
documents in our database. The additional advantage of
this is that the thesaurus will not be overloaded with terms
that have no documents attached
to
them. The profile has
been tested and
a
little refinement was found
to
be necessary.
Ultimately, the effort would allow for consistency in subject
control,
efficiency of search, improved precision and
recall,
and a reliable database. Our experience should be useful to
others anticipating the use of CD-MARC Subjects or other
CDROM-based authority control tools.
1.
Introduction
From the different ways in which authorities in the field have
defined authority control, Clack summarises it as:
'the process of ensuring that every entry — name,
uniform title, series, or subject — that is selected as an
access point for
the
public catalog is unique and does not
conflict, by being identical, with any other entry that is
already in the catalog or that may be included at a later
date.
A network of references is the frame that holds it all
together' (Clack 1990).
In the words of Epstein:
'authority control performs one of the primary functions
of a catalog, that of bringing together
the
variant forms of
the same materials, the same author, the same subject. If
variant forms of
a
name or subject heading are used,
without authority control, the patron may not receive full
information about the actual holdings of the library'
(Epstein 1986).
This collocation / assembling function is further elabo-
rated upon by Clack under four
subheadings:
names, uniform
titles,
series and subjects. For subjects, she says:
'In theory, the function of subject authority control is to
ensure the use of consistent vocabulary that exactly
matches both that of the user and that of the document. In
practice, authority control ensures consistency in the
vocabulary and the reference structure used in the catalog.
A
controlled vocabulary and a controlled set of
supporting references are important components of a
subject access system that effectively connects the varied
vocabularies of users to a subject
catalog.
The reference
structure directs the users from narrower, broader, related
or synonymous terms to the controlled vocabulary of the
catalog. If the terms from a controlled vocabulary are
properly assigned to documents then authority control
ensures that all materials on a given subject are collocated
under the same subject term. The adequacy of any subject
authority control system is as much dependent on the
quality of application as it is upon the quality of the
system
itself'
(Clack 1990).
The Electronic Library, Vol. 11,
No.
4/5, August/October 1993 311
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