MOBIUS Authority Control Process

Our Authority Control Vendor

MOBIUS uses MARS Automated Authority Control from Backstage Library Works (BSLW) to perform authority control - the process of making sure that your records are as up-to-date as they can possibly be. This is done in two ways: 

  1. BSLW maintains a listing of authority records currently used by the library or cluster.
  2. The library or cluster's records are checked against current Library of Congress records. 

Processes for Authority Control

Three Backstage Library Works processes are used by MOBIUS for Authority Control: Authority Updates, Current Cataloging, Notification Service. The steps for each process are explained below. 

Authority Updates

  1. Every month, new authority records are coded for addition and old authority records are coded for deletion by library staff.
  2. At the beginning of every month, MOBIUS searches for and finds authority records coded for addition and deletion and sends them to BSLW, which keeps a file of authorities on record for the library or cluster.  
  3. MOBIUS staff update the added authority records as added and delete the ones marked for deletion once BSLW confirms they have received both files.

Current Cataloging

  1. Every February, March, August, and November (once every 3 months), MOBIUS staff send bib records with a BCODE3 of “-“ (DIS LOC/CEN) and with a CAT DATE of the previous quarter to BSLW.
  2. Headings from the incoming quarterly bib file are checked by BSLW against BSLW’s authority holdings for the library/cluster.  If there is no match for the authorities, the headings are checked against the Library of Congress’s authority file. 
  3. If the incoming bib headings match on Library of Congress authorities, they are added to BSLW’s authorities for that library or cluster and are sent to be loaded as new authority records.
  4. The headings of the bib records sent to BSLW are corrected if needed, and the corrected bibs are sent to be loaded back into the apropriate catalog.
  5. MOBIUS staff retrieve the bib and authority records sent by BSLW as new or updated authorities and loads the records into the appropriate catalog. 
  6. Reports generated by BSLW for quarterly authority processing are left on the dropbox.

Notification Service

  1. Every February, March, August, and November (once every 3 months), MOBIUS staff send bib records with a BCODE3 of “-“ (DIS LOC/CEN) and with a CAT DATE of the previous quarter to BSLW.
  2. Headings from the incoming quarterly bib file are checked by BSLW against BSLW’s authority holdings for the library/cluster.  If there is no match for the authorities, the headings are checked against the Library of Congress’s authority file. 
  3. Headings already in library or cluster's holdings are checked against Library of Congress authorities for updates; records in the library or cluster's holdings are updated and the records are sent to be loaded into the catalog as updated authority records.
  4. The headings of the bib records sent to BSLW are corrected if needed, and the corrected bibs are sent to be loaded back into the apropriate catalog.
  5. MOBIUS staff retrieve the bib and authority records sent by BSLW as new or updated authorities and loads the records into the appropriate catalog. 
  6. Reports generated by BSLW for quarterly authority processing are left on the dropbox.