Author An author search is really a 'name' search. The author search allows you to search for the names of individuals, organizations or conferences which contributed to the creation of the works in question or are in some way related to it. These individuals or organizations can function in many different roles, such as authors of text, composers, editors, performers, illustrators, librettists, or film directors.
All names used as access points in the library catalog are under what is called 'authority control'.
The library establishes an 'authorized' form of a name to be used whenever that name is an access point. Cross-references are made from invalid, or unauthorized, forms of names and direct you to the valid, authorized forms. You may enter the name with or without commas. If an author has two initials, search with spaces and without spaces. Scroll through the list to select the appropriate name heading.