Checking Authority Headings

Checking authority headings in bibliographic and authority records ensures consistency in indexing, so retrieval is reliable. Headings are checked when you save the record as final or when you select Tools > Check Headings on the Bibliographic Record workform, or Tools > Check See Also From on the Authority Record workform.

Note:
The headings check is not done automatically when you save the record as provisional.

If no invalid headings are found, the Check Complete message appears or the record is saved. If any unlinked headings are found, the Check Headings Assistant dialog box lists the problem headings. You can correct the problem heading in the record, create a new authority record to match the problem heading, or disregard the problem and leave the heading unlinked. You must have permission set in Polaris Administration to create authority records. See Cataloging Workflow Permissions.

You can also create links automatically from an open authority record to new bibliographic or authority records whose headings match, or are very close to, the heading in the open record. When you make new links to authority records or update links, you can see the changes by selecting Utilities > Cataloging Processing > Authority Create Links Queue or the Authority Update Links Queue.

Authority Control for Local Headings

Note:
If you do not want authority control performed on these local headings, contact your Polaris Site Manager.

Polaris performs authority control for some local subject headings. Local subject headings must be in 690 and 691 fields, the second indicator must be 7, and the subfields must be similar to those specified in the MARC format for bibliographic 600, 650, and 651 fields. If your data does not meet these requirements, additional data analysis and processing fees may apply during data conversion.

When authority control for local headings is performed, the system attempts to match the local headings in bibliographic records with authority records as follows:

690 Subject Heading - Local Topical Subject field with a second indicator value of ‘7’ (source specified in subfield 2) is matched against authority records containing a 190 tag and a 008/11 value of ‘z’ (other). (The value in subfield 2 is not taken into account.)
691 Subject Heading - Local Geographic Name field with a second indicator value of '7' (source specified in subfield 2) is matched against authority records containing a 191 tag and an 008/11 value of 'z' (other). (The value in subfield 2 is not taken into account.)

If a match is found and all other existing conditions for authority linking on non-local headings are met, a link is established between the bibliographic heading and the matching authority record.

In addition, links are automatically established between authority records as follows:

590 See Also From Tracing - Local Topical Term is matched against an authority record’s 190 tag.
591 See Also From Tracing - Local Geographic Name is matched against an authority record’s 191 tag.

ZMARC Remote Authority Control

If your library subscribes to Polaris ZMARC, the remote ZMARC or OCLC authority database is checked for matching authority records when no match is found in the Polaris database. When you save MARC records, import them, or check their headings, and no matching authority record is found in the local database, the remote database is checked automatically. If an exact match is found in the remote authority database, it is saved to the local database and a link is made to the existing or imported record.

An authority create links job is added to the queue automatically if other unlinked bibliographic or See Also headings in the database can be authorized by the new automatically-created authority record.

You enable remote automatic authority control through the Remote automatic authority control Cataloging profile in Polaris Administration. See Managing Authority Control.