Library of Congress Providing Access to LC Authority Files (Best of ResourceShelf)
First posted in 2002.
The Library of Congress, Free Web Access to the LC Authority Files
At the beginning of July the Library of Congress began providing FREE "trial" public access to the LC Authority File via the LC Authorities site. For the cataloging community access to these files can serve many purposes. Four files (Subject, Name, Title, and Name/Title Authority Headings) are available for searching/browsing. A Few Details
According to the faq, "authority records cannot be searched by keyword(s). are "left-anchored" -- search words must be entered in order starting with the leftmost word (omitting initial articles and initial punctuation)." Records are available in a labelled display and MARC format. The only caveat, according to the faq, is that authority records may only be saved, printed or emailed one at a time. Reference Use?
Although in NO way are these files primary ready-reference tools but they can assist in answering some "fast factual" questions. Here's one example using the Names file. This file contains about 5.3 million entries including data on 3.8 million personal, 900,000 corporate, 120,000 meeting, and 90,000 geographic names. After running a few searches I found that you can learn "real names" and for birthdays for authors, entertainers, and other celebrity types I was also able to access some basic corporate name info. For example, info on company name changes. Most entries include a citation to the source of the information. Sample Name File Searches To Try Select Name Authority Headings and Enter Name
*Comedian Albert Brook's name file. You'll learn that his birth name is Albert Einstein
*Rock Music legend Pete Townshend's Name File. Learn his full name, birth date, and birth location.
*Name file for Metra (the commuter railroad service in Chicago). Learn that Metra is a service name for the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation.
*The often used example, because of the many spelling variations, of Muammar Qaddafi's authority record. Final Notes
For those of you out there who are not familiar with authority work, here are several definitions from ODLIS to assist. You probably already realize that these concepts have applications outside the traditional library database as more and more organizations build databases where control and uniformity of material in the database is necessary. The LC Authority file is one of many authority files that exist. OCLC, other libraries, and database providers all build and maintain their own files. Btw, the LC Authorities file is Invisible Web data. These records cannot be accessed from general web engines like Google and AltaVista. CORRECTION
Anna Della Porta from LC informs me that the above statement about other authority files is incorrect as it relates to OCLC and other services. Anna writes, "In fact, the copy of the LC Authority File (or national authority file) that users view in OCLC or in RLIN is the same "file" that resides at LC. We maintain the master copy of the LC Authority File at LC. Each day we receive authority record contributions from NACO participants via OCLC, RLIN, and the British Library. Those three sites are known as the NACO "nodes" as they maintain copies of the LC Authority File. We then distribute these contributions on a daily basis back to the nodes, along with the records produced by LC catalogers. In this way, the three sites keep their copies of the LC Authority File synchronized with the master copy at LC. Direct to LC Authorities See Also: The LC Authorities FAQ
A family of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success. Read more »
Recently I have found myself cooing over visualisation maps (and heat maps) of health and well being resources. The content rich data is overlayed with mapping technologies, and some interesting themes and patterns are emerging.
A lot of the talk around social media in the last year has been around information overload. Social media has provided us with new and exciting ways to create content. But it has also meant learning new ways to manage and engage with social media tools. Are we teetering on the edge of an information overload precipice?
Information overload is a figment of your imagination. Or a failure of your filter. Or a symptom of your technological submissiveness. Depends on who you ask.
What if you had to sort through 3.5 million articles and social media posts a day and try to pull out the most relevant items for your organisation? What if you then had to cobble it all together into something readable for your top groups and executives in your organisation?
Alacra Compliance saves time by aggregating information from both free and fee-based sources and enabling users to conduct an accurate federated search across these sources (coined “simultaneous search” by Alacra).
FreePint Family
Quilting big data threads
The fallacy of information overload
Information overload: fact, fantasy or filter failure? 
