Authority Format Wizard

Authority Format policies control the display, editing, data validation, and indexing of all fields in authority records used in SirsiDynix Symphony. An Authority Format policy lists entries allowed to be used by a given type of authority record, along with the characteristics of each entry. When creating or editing an authority record, SirsiDynix Symphony prompts you only with appropriate authority format choices at any place on the system where the format policy is presented.

From the List Policies window, you can create, display, modify, copy, or remove Authority Format policies. Click Close to exit the wizard.

Selecting an Authority Format policy displays the following tabs.

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Basic Tab for the Format Policy

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Entries Tab for the Format Policy

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Fixed Fields Tab for the Format Policy

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Coded Fields Tab for the Format Policy

Click these tabs for more information about the Authority Format policy attributes.

SirsiDynix Symphony supports MARC21 and UNIMARC authority formats:

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Records in MARC21 Authority Format

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Records in UNIMARC Authority Format

Records in MARC21 Authority Format

MARC21 authority records describe access points or searchable headings in bibliographic records. Links between authority records and bibliographic records are created when entries in a bibliographic record are validated against an authority index. Exactly which bibliographic entries are to be checked is specified in the Format policy used by the bibliographic record. Any entry in a bibliographic record using authorized entries may be controlled by authority data. SirsiDynix Symphony authority records can contain all of the data necessary to conform to the MARC 21 standard.

For detailed entry information, see the Library of Congress documentation MARC 21 Concise Format for Authority Data (http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc/authority/ecadhome.html).

Information from authority records is used in two different ways in SirsiDynix Symphony:

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Cross-references from authority records can help users locate the information they are looking for in the bibliographic database. All of the cross-references from all authority records in the authority database are compiled into thesauri.

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Authorized and unauthorized headings are compiled into indexes. When authority checking is configured, the authority controlled headings in the bibliographic records are compared with the authority index to determine whether they are authorized or unauthorized.

SirsiDynix Symphony can be configured to use format validation, which checks fields in records against a list of allowable values as defined in the appropriate Format policy. When format validation is configured, every time you save changes to an item, the entire MARC record is validated against the format policies. If there are any invalid tags or subfields, the edit cannot be saved until the discrepancy is corrected.

If your library is not using format validation, SirsiDynix Symphony supports, but does not enforce, the MARC 21 standard describing the contents of each tag. SirsiDynix Symphony does not prevent the entry of a subfield not defined for a particular tag.

MARC authority records may only be used to authorize bibliographic terms if the authority records have not been marked for deletion in leader character position five, and if the authority records are marked as established terms in character position nine of the 008 fixed fields. Terms from deleted records or records not marked as containing an established heading are posted to authority indexes but not to thesauri.

Delivered MARC21Authority Formats

The following MARC21 authority-purpose Format policies are delivered.

Format	Description
AATSH	Art and Architecture Thesaurus Subject Headings format
CANSH	National Library of Canada Subject Headings format
CORPORATE	MARC 21 corporate names format
GENRE-FORM	MARC 21 genre-form subject headings format
GEOGRAPH	MARC 21 geographic names format
LCCHILDSH	Library of Congress Children’s Subject Headings format
LCSH	Library of Congress Subject Headings format
MEETING	MARC 21 meeting names format
NALSH	National Agriculture Library Subject Headings format
NLMSH	The National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) format is used for topical medical subject headings created by the NLM.
OTHERSH	Format for subject headings from another source
PERSONAL	MARC 21 personal names format
RVMSH	Répertoire des Vedette-Matière Subject Headings format
SEARS	Format for Sears List of Subject Headings
SUBDIV-CHR	Format for MARC 21 floating subdivisions-character
SUBDIV-FRM	Format for MARC 21 floating subdivisions-form
SUBDIV-GEN l	Format for MARC 21 floating subdivisions-general
SUBDIV-GEO	Format for MARC 21 floating subdivisions-geographic
TITLE	MARC 21 uniform titles and series names format
TOPICAL	Local MARC 21 subjects format

Records in UNIMARC Authority Format

Like MARC authority records, UNIMARC authority records also describe access points or searchable headings in bibliographic records. Links between authority records and bibliographic records are created when entries in a bibliographic record are validated against an UNIMARC authority index. Exactly which bibliographic entries are to be checked is specified in the UNIMARC Format policy used by the bibliographic record. Any entry in a bibliographic record using authorized entries may be controlled by UNIMARC authority data. SirsiDynix Symphony UNIMARC authority records can contain all of the data necessary to conform to the IFLA standard.

For detailed information about UNIMARC authority format entries, see the IFLANET Concise UNIMARC Classification Format Web page (http://www.ifla.org/VI/3/p1996-1/concise.htm).

Delivered UNIMARC Authority Formats

The following UNIMARC authority-purpose Format policies are delivered.

Format	Description
UCOLUNITTL	Collective uniform title heading
UCRPNAME	Corporate name heading
UFAMNAME	Family name heading
UGENRE	Form or genre heading
UNAMCOLTTL	Name/Collective uniform title heading
UNAMTITL	Name/Title heading
UPERNAME	Personal name heading
UPLACE	Place access
UPORASSUN	Bib. NacPortugal assunto
URAMEAU	Sujet Rameau
USUBJ	Topical subject heading
UTERNAME	Territorial/Geographic name heading
UTRDMARK	Trademark heading
UUNITITL	Uniform title heading

Custom Authority Formats

Custom authority Format policies are designed by the library. A custom Format policy can contain any number of distinct, named fields. Each entry in a custom format authority record contains a 1-4 character entry name field and a data field. Valid names are established in SirsiDynix Symphony policies. In the data field, any combination of letters and numbers appropriate to the entry as defined by the library may be entered.