[Evergreen-catalogers] Indexing =400 Authority MARC Fields in Author and Subject Searches

[Johnathon Redmon]

How do you search/ find evergreen authorities? Is the eventual plan to
entirely stop using LOC and have our own authorities list? (I wouldn't be
opposed to this because sometimes LOC seems a bit wonky/ not entirely
average searcher friendly.)

On Tue, Feb 6, 2024 at 9:07 AM Szwagiel, Will via Evergreen-catalogers <
evergreen-catalogers at list.evergreen-ils.org> wrote:

> Good morning,
>
> (First, I apologize any duplicate emails you may receive.  I initially
> sent this to the General listserv, but then I thought it might be better
> suited for the Cataloging listserv.  So if you have already received this
> message, I apologize in advance.)
>
> We have been discussing ways to try and make authority records more useful
> in Evergreen for staff and patrons when searching the catalog.  As it
> currently stands, if you select Author as the Catalog Field in a search and
> search for a version of an author's name that appears in a =400 field in
> the authority record, you will not receive any results.  However, if you
> search for that same version of the author's name with Keyword selected as
> the Catalog Field, you will receive results.
>
> One potential solution that has been suggested is to index the =400 fields
> in the Author search.
>
> This led to a broader discussion regarding a project we are currently
> undertaking to introduce less problematic or offensive local subject
> headings into our MARC records.  Basically we are planning to put together
> a list of terms that we feel are outdated or problematic and then come up
> with a separate list of terms with which to replace them.  Instead of
> simply adding our local subject headings to the records and leaving the
> problematic ones present as is, we intend to replace the problematic ones
> with the new terms.
>
> This returned to the discussion of how best to handle authority records.
> The thinking is that we would add these new terms to the existing authority
> records (presumably in =400 fields) and potentially index these fields in
> the Subject search, as well, similar to how we discussed potentially doing
> this with the Author search.
>
> Has anyone else done anything like this before?  If so, how has it worked
> out for you?  If you have not had much luck with it, what would you
> recommend as an alternative?
>
> Thank you in advance for any insight you may be able to provide.
>
> *William C. Szwagiel*
>
> NC Cardinal Project Manager
>
> State Library of North Carolina
>
> william.szwagiel at ncdcr.gov | 919.814.6721
>
> https://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/services-libraries/nc-cardinal
>
> 109 East Jones Street  | 4640 Mail Service Center
>
> Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4600
>
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>
>
>
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-- 
Johnathon Redmon
Technical Services Cataloging Clerk
Monticello Union-Township Public Library
321 W. Broadway St.
Monticello, IN 47960
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