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Libraries & education

Name authority record

Also known as: LC/NAF record

The author-specific kind of authority record: a library record that establishes the one authorized form of an author's name so every catalog entry for that author files together. In the United States the record lives in the Library of Congress Name Authority File and carries dates, variant spellings, and links to identifiers such as ISNI and VIAF.

When you’ll meet it
After a book is cataloged by a library
Usually handled by
Library of Congress and NACO catalogers; the author checks it

Why it matters to you

If the record has the wrong dates or a variant of your name, libraries may file your books under two different headings. Authors can ask for corrections.