[yul-naco] reminder not to re-use authority records

[Manon Theroux]

Dear NACO catalogers:

This is a reminder that authority records should never be "re-used"!!

Once an authority record has been created for a 
specific entity (person, corporate body, etc.) 
and contributed to the authority file (at which 
point it is assigned a unique LCCN in the 010 
field), that record should NEVER be changed to 
represent a DIFFERENT entity.  For example, a NAR 
for "Smithfield, Martin K." should not be changed 
to "Jones, Leo Franck" (unless the person's name has changed).

Catalogers are sometimes tempted to do this when 
they discover duplicate authority records for the 
same entity (especially if they realize that they 
are the one responsible for creating the 
duplicate record!). If you discover duplicate 
NARs, or discover that you have created a 
duplicate NAR, the correct action is to *report 
the duplicate records to me so I can ask our LC 
liaison to delete one of them.*

Do not attempt to "get rid of" a duplicate record 
by updating it and making it look like a NAR for 
a new entity. This kind of "re-used" authority 
record causes major problems for LC, the 
bibliographic utilities, and other libraries' 
systems. In many systems, it initiates a global 
change to headings in the bibliographic records (which would be inappropriate).

This is very important, so ask me to explain in 
person if you're still not sure what I'm talking about!

Thanks for remembering :)

-Manon

_______________________________________________

Manon Théroux
Authority Control Librarian
Catalog and Metadata Services, SML, 2-8376