The Benefits of Online Series Authority Control

Abstract

The Ralph Brown Draughon Library of Auburn University has established an online series title authority file which is intended to benefit technical services personnel, public services personnel and patrons. On the technical services side, the file quickly and clearly indicates whether a given item should be distributed to the Serials Department wfiich is responsible for all monographs in traced series, or to the Monographic Cataloging Department, which is responsible for all other monographs, including those in untraced series. The series authority records also provide instructions on the processing of items in series or booksets, i.e., whether a not they are classed separately or together. On the public side, the file provides easier access to titles in often difficult to search monographic series through cross-references to variant titles or to earlier and later titles. This article examines the various benefits of an online saies title authority file in detail.