Department Manual
Creating local series / Editing national series / Authority workflows

This document outlines the procedures for creating local series authority records and for making local edits to authorities from the national OCLC file.

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Creating local series authority records

If a series authority record cannot be found in the OCLC authority file, it will be necessary to create a local series authority record in Voyager. Whenever possible, all series headings should have either a national authority from OCLC, or a local authority.

Creating a local authority in Voyager is easy when you have the correct form of the heading in the bib record. During the save process, click on Create Authority button during the validation step. Verify that the authority is correct, and save to Voyager. The create authority button in Voyager will populate all appropriate fields.

Check before final save:

• If you add a 4xx field that was not automatically created by Voyager, change the 008 field to: Reference Evaluation: a tracings are consistent with heading
• If the information from the 670 |b is not from the title page, change the 670 |b as needed
• Verify all 6xx fields
• Add 690 field with initials: |a mak |d 08/2006

Local name and subject authority records

For name and subject headings, it is not necessary to create a local authority for every heading without a national authority. It is up to the original cataloger whether or not to create an authority.

Rule of thumb : Create a local authority if a cross-reference (4xx field) is needed.

Adding local edits to national authority records

IMPORTANT: All local edits added to an existing OCLC authority record MUST have a |5 KKS added to the field (except for the 690 field). Without the |5 KKS, if a new authority is brought in from Backstage or OCLC, all local edits will be lost. The |5 KKS protects the local edits.

Check before final save:

• Add local call numbers to the 050 _4. Add |5 KKS
• Add local class numbers to the 053 _4. Add |5 KKS
• Add local tracing practices to appropriate 64x fields. Add |5 KKS
• Add local notes to appropriate 67x fields. Add |5 KKS
• Add 690 field with initials. Example: 690 |a r:mak |d 08/2006

Voyager preferences

If you import authority records from OCLC, it is important that your Voyager preferences for Authority Import/Replace Profile are set to Authority/Merge. This will prevent local edits with |5 KKS from being lost.

Workflows for authority records

Original cataloging:

• Verify that the heading in the bib record is correct.
• Do not bring in an authority for name and subject headings unless there are local edits that need to be made to the authority.
• Bring in authorities for all series. Make edits to series authorities if needed. Add |5 KKS to all edited fields.
• Add 690 field with initials to authorities with local edits. It is not necessary to add a 690 field if there are no edits.
• If we import an authority from OCLC, Backstage will send the authority again. This is OK. The merge process will protect all locally created fields with |5 KKS and the 690 field. Backstage will add the heading to our authority master file.

Serials copy cataloger:

• Import all series authorities from OCLC.
• Add local call numbers to 050 _4, with |5 KKS
• Add local edits to the series authority if need, add |5 KKS to all edited fields.
• If changes are made to the 645 field, use the Builder search in Voyager to locate any untraced series or “series-like” phrases. If local KKS practice is to trace series, change other bibs found in Voyager.
• Add 690 field with initials to authorities with local edits. It is not necessary to add a 690 field if there are no edits.

Builder search in Voyager

• Search significant keywords from your series in case the series has been established in a different form; then try that form as a staff title search
• Use the builder search "as a phrase" in order to retrieve series that may not have been traced or input in 440 or 830 field - essential for database cleanup!
• Combine search with word from publisher