# Presentation: 508355

## NARA’s New Authority Sources:

- Authority Files and Thesauri in ARC
- C. Jerry Simmons
- Authority Team Leader, Lifecycle Coordination Staff
- National Archives and Records Administration
- CENDI Workshop, September 16, 2004

**Notes:**
NARA’s New Authority Sources: Authority Files and Thesauri in ARC
Presentation by: C. Jerry Simmons, Authority Team Leader, Lifecycle Coordination Staff, National Archives and Records Administration
CENDI Workshop, September 16, 2004

## ARC (Archival Research Catalog):

- NARA’s new online catalog/information system
- Record group, collection, series, file unit, and item level descriptions and agency histories
- Access via by creator, title, and access points
- Authority control for all access point types
- Authority files and thesauri created centrally
- Access points applied locally by NARA catalogers
- NARA catalogers propose new access points
- Authority Team does authority cataloging

**Notes:**
NARA saw the roll out of its new online catalog/information system in April 2003. The system will contain descriptions of archival materials in NARA’s custody at all levels: record group and collection, series, file unit, and item. ARC will also store agency histories of federal agencies associated with the archival materials being described. ARC offers researchers traditional access via creator, title, and subject reference chosen from built in authority files and thesauri. The new authority files and thesauri are dynamic modules of the system, maintained by a centralized staff of authority catalogers responding to the requests of NARA catalogers by a method of online proposal forms.

## What is ARC?

- Archival Research Catalog
- NARAs’ agency-wide description tool
- Replaced NAIL (National Archives Information Locator)
- NARA’s first application of description standards
- Contains NARA’s new authority sources
- NARA’s first attempt at authority control

**Notes:**
ARC = Archival Research Catalog
NARA’s new agency-wide description tool used for describing holdings and federal agencies
ARC replaces NAIL (National Archives Information Locator). NAIL contained primarily catalog descriptions for visual materials (photographs and motion picture footage) in NARA’s holdings. ARC contains descriptions for all materials (textual records, motion picture images, photographs, artifacts, micro-formats, architectural drawings, persons papers (Presidential Libraries), ) in NARA’s custody
ARC contains catalog records written to NARA’s new description standards as specified in the LCDRG (Lifecycle Data Requirements Guide). This standard borrows from such content standards as the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed., APPM (Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts), ISAD-G, and others
The ARC client server contains authority files and thesauri: organization and person names, geographic place names, topical subject terms, and genre terms. Catalogers can select headings from the desktop software
For the first time, NARA’s catalog records will contain standard, controlled headings and terms in a variety of access point fields: creator, contributor, donor, topical subject terms, geographic name, person name, organization name, genre (specific records type) term, etc.

## NARA’s authority sources ...

- Accessible from the ARC client server desktop
- Person name headings
- Corporate (organization) name headings
- Meeting/conference name headings
- Topical subject terms
- Geographic place name headings
- Genre (specific records type) terms
- Uniform titles (planned for a future release)

**Notes:**
ARC authorities are accessible via the client server system on the desktop. NARA catalogers can select from a variety of authority files and thesauri. They do not have to transcribe headings from external authority sources (LCSH, LCNAF, Getty thesauri)
ARC authority files include: Person name, Organization name, Meeting/Conference name
ARC thesauri include: Topical subjects, Geographic places, Genre (specific records type) terms
An authority file and data element for uniform title headings is proposed for a future release of ARC

## Person names:

- Source: Library of Congress Name Authority File
- NARA authority catalogers add and edit names
- MARC authority format for person names
- NARA catalogers enter new names via NACO

**Notes:**
The person name authority results from a one-time upload of the Library of Congress Name Authority File
NARA authority catalogers add new name headings and edit existing headings to make them more complete ... NARA “buries”
ARC client server contains functionality for creating MARC authority records for person name headings
If a new person name is created as a result of NARA holdings, NARA authority catalogers have the option to add the new name to the LCNAF in OCLC. NARA authority catalogers received NACO certification in October 2003, and independence from NACO review/approval in February 2004

## Corporate (organization) names:

- Source: Library of Congress Name Authority File
- AACR2/MARC for non-federal names
- Authority catalogers create federal names in full hierarchy
- Example:
- 	Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Administration. Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. Division of Truck Crops and Garden Insect Investigations. (1942-1953)

**Notes:**
Started with a one-time upload of the LCNAF to include names of non-federal (U.S.) organization names
Names are partitioned depending on federal/non-federal status
Non-federal organization names are formed by AACR2/MARC standards
Federal organization names are created in full hierarchy and establish/abolish dates for the benefit of researchers. In many cases, the federal organization name authority records contain an agency history note
The organization name authority file serves as an knowledge source as well as a source for name headings

## Meeting/Conference names:

- Source: Library of Congress Name Authority File
- NARA catalogers create/edit names as needed
- AARC2/MARC for meeting and conference names

**Notes:**
Names result from a one-time upload of the LCNAF
Meeting/conference names are integrated into the overall organization name authority, but have separate indexes for searching
NARA catalogers use AACR2 and MARC rules for creating new names and authority records

## Topical subject terms:

- NARA’s DE800 Subject Authority as a foundation
- Main headings (‡a subfield) only from LCSH
- No subdivided terms in ARC’s data model
- Establish terms locally when necessary
- Thesaurus is ANSI/NISO Z39.19-1993-2003 compliant
- Authority catalogers contribute to LCSH via SACO

**Notes:**
 ARC’s topical subject thesaurus has its foundation in NARA’s now defunct DE800 Subject Authority List. 90% of the terms in the old authority list matched LCSH exactly. NARA’s has since adopted LCSH as its primary source for new topical subject terms
ARC’s data model prevents traditional subdivision of subject headings with geographic references, chronological subdivisions, or genre terms, so authority catalogers add only main headings to the ARC thesaurus. NARA catalogers must establish specific context in their narrative notes
When a requested term cannot be found in LCSH and other approved sources, NARA authority catalogers establish a new term locally following Library of Congress' Subject Cataloging Manual
ARC’s thesaurus building feature complies with ANSI/NISO Z39.19-1993-2003
When appropriate, authority catalogers contribute new topical subject headings to the Library of Congress Subject Headings via SACO (Subject Authority Cooperative)

## Geographic place names:

- Source: Getty’s Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- Authority catalogers establish names locally
- Full TGN hierarchy shown in authority and catalog record:
- Example:
- 	Savannah (Chatham county, Georgia, United States, North and Central America) inhabited place

**Notes:**
ARC geographic reference thesaurus comes from a one-time upload of Getty’s Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN)
When needed, NARA authority catalogers establish names locally
The full TGN hierarchy is displayed in the authority module and in the geographic access point field of the bibliographic records [place name (county, state, country, continent) place type] as seen in the example for the heading for Savannah, Georgia

## Genre (specific records type) terms:

- Source: Getty’s Art and Architecture Thesaurus
- NARA authority catalogers establish terms locally
- AAT display shown in ARC catalog records
- Examples:
- articles of incorporation
- artists’ proofs
- diaries
- lithographic engravings
- reports

**Notes:**
The genre term/specific records type thesaurus also comes from Getty. NARA purchased a one time upload of selected components of Getty’s Art and Architecture Thesaurus to populated the ARC thesaurus of document types
When necessary, NARA authority catalogers add new terms to the thesaurus based on proposals from NARA catalogers
The AAT display is used in NARA catalog records

## Uniform titles:

- No uniform title authority file or data element in ARC
- Proposing a new authority file and data element
- Headings will be translated from LCNAF or created locally
- NARA catalogers will propose new uniform titles as needed

**Notes:**
During data model and description standards development, the need for uniform title headings was not recognized by ARC developers, but soon after NARA catalogers began their description work, it was apparent that there was a need to provide access via uniform titles
The ARC Authority Team has drafted a proposal for NARA’s Data Standards Board defending the addition of a new access point field and a new, separate authority file for uniform titles
Library of Congress Name Authority File will be the primary source for uniform title headings, and NARA authority catalogers will create headings locally when necessary
NARA catalogers will propose new uniform title headings via a proposal form

## ARC on the Web:

- http://www.archives.gov/research_room/arc/
- Basic and Advanced search options
- Variety of filtered search strategies
- Digital image attachments for item-level records
- Keyword searching: archival descriptions, agency histories, and subject access points
- Advanced search offers authority lookup feature

**Notes:**
The ARC page of NARA’s home page contains links to ARC Web
ARC Web offers basic and advanced search modules
The Basic Search screen provide a few filters to narrow search strategies, but the Advanced Search page offers several filters enhanced by use of the authority file and thesauri look up features

## Slide 13

**Notes:**
ARC’s introduction page can be found under the “Research Room” section NARA’s main page at www.nara.gov. The introductory page defines ARC and provides links to search tips, samples of historical documents related to topics of general interest, genealogical resources, and frequently asked questions.

## Slide 14

**Notes:**
ARC’s basic search screen offers a search bar with basic filters for limiting search returns, digital image attachments, date spans, NARA facilities location, and type of material describes (all types, architectural, artifacts, data files, maps and charts, motion picture and video, photographs, sound recordings, and textual records)

## Slide 15

**Notes:**
ARC’s advanced search screen offers similar features, but with several additional search filters as seen on the next slide ...

## Slide 16

**Notes:**
Additional search filters allow researchers to limit their searching by levels of description (Record Group, Collection (Pres. Libraries), Series, File unit, and Item), specific media types (paper, audio tape, dictabelt recording, microfilm, parchment, slide, photographic print), holdings i.d. numbers, and by indexes for organization and person names, and topical subject. Indexes for geographic place names and specific records types (Getty vocabularies) have yet to be implemented on the advanced search feature.

## Slide 17

**Notes:**
Clicking into the lookup organization name feature gives researchers the option to run keyword searches for names of federal and non-federal agency names used as access points in the catalog records. Index buttons offer the option to browse the alphabetical lists of organization names. As more and more organization names are added as access points, the keyword search option becomes a more practical option for narrowing down search results.

## Slide 18

**Notes:**
A keyword search on “Department of the Interior” yields a hit list with 513 organization names.

## Slide 19

**Notes:**
Clicking on hot-linked names takes the researcher to the authority record for that organization name. Authority records on the ARC web show organization name changes over the years. In some cases, the authority record contains an agency history note and Program Area index terms and geographic jurisdiction terms (source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names)

## Slide 20

**Notes:**
ARC Web’s data model includes functionality for traditional syndetic structure of the authority files and thesauri. In this screen capture, the USE references appear to link research from non-preferred to preferred forms of name headings.

## Slide 21

**Notes:**
The same searching and linking functionality exists for person names headings assigned as access points to archival descriptions.

## Slide 22

**Notes:**
The full authority record from the ARC client server system is translated in to ARC Web authority records for person names. The person name authority records contain: the heading, “roles” information (creator in, subject in, donor of, contributor to), biography note, and variant (see from) forms of the name heading.

## Slide 23

**Notes:**
The topical subject thesaurus is presented the same way. Researchers have the option to do a keyword searching, or select one of the index buttons.

## Slide 24

**Notes:**
All topical subject terms linked to archival descriptions are searchable in the ARC Web topical lookup. It features the syndetic label, USE, for linking preferred and non-preferred terms.

## Future plans for ARC Web:

- Reengineering for appearance and functionality
- Plain-language for data field labels
- Reformatting for record displays
- Filter searches for geographic and genre terms
- New searches for person and organization names
- Links for AAD (Access to Archival Databases)

**Notes:**
For the future, NARA plans a number of enhancements to ARC Web, many of them involving streamlined access to cataloging data via authorities and thesauri

## Our participation in CENDI:

- NARA authority catalogers desire networking
- Citing other agencies thesauri as sources in ARC
- Sharing research information for development

**Notes:**
NARA’s authority catalogers seek to network with other DC/federal information specialists
Hope to assemble a list of resources from agencies with very specific thesauri and authorities to document the specific, technical information found in NARA holdings
NARA authority catalogers also seek to share information about non-web resources to aid in development of NARA’s own authorities and thesauri