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9.3. Linking Authorities

Last Updated 10/20/2025

Linking Authority Records Workflow

As noted here in the Knowledge Book, catalogers are not expected to go through MARC records as they are cataloging and validate or link headings to authority records.  Evergreen has a nightly automated process that links the correct authority records to new bib records.  Authorized terms in fields 100/110/111, 700/710/711, 130/830, 655 will link automatically overnight.

However, there are a few caveats with this automated process:

1. It only affects new bib records or records that were edited that day.
2. Links rely on the entire field/subfield string matching.
   • Example 1:  A horror novel with 100 1\$aKing, Stephen will not link to the correct authority record for King, Stephen,$d1947-
   • Example 2:  Popes$vBiography will not link to authority record Popes$xBiography.
   • Example 3:  Godzilla$c(Fictitious character)$vFiction will not link to authority record Godzilla$c(Fictitious character) unless you change your linking field settings to exclude $v.
3. Series can be tricky if there is a subfield $v present in the 830 field.  This requires customization to work better.  As with the above Godzilla example, it is a setting.
4. Bib fields 600, 610, 650, 651 fail to validate when delimited with subfields $x, $z, $v, $t, (etc.).

Due to these issues, along with the finicky nature of authority record searching in Evergreen, we do not want to overburden catalogers with a substantial amount of additional work trying to make sure all headings are validated and/or linked while cataloging.  Instead, going through and validating and linking headings to authority records will be a focus of the Cardinal Authorities Working Group moving forward.

If you would like to be a part of the Authorities Working Group, you can join its Basecamp group by submitting a request to be added here.

Reviewing and Validating Headings in a Bibliographic Record

Before you link any authority records, you will first want to review specific MARC fields within a bibliographic record.

The fields you should focus on for the time being are:

• 100
• 110
• 111
• 700
• 710
• 711
• 830 (note that for this field you will need to re-enter the subfield $a punctuation and subfield $v data after manually linking)

You will be checking to make sure the contents of these fields are correct and complete.

To begin, open a bib record in the Enhanced MARC Editor interface:

Click the Validate button:

Green check marks will appear next to linkable fields (100, 110, 650, 655, 700, 830, etc.) that have matched authority records already.  If they have a subfield $0, as in the following example, then the fields have already been linked to their corresponding authority record.  You do not need to do anything with these.

If a field has a green check mark but lacks a subfield $0, as in the following examples, it will need to be manually linked.

Red exclamation points appear next to fields with unmatched terms, meaning you currently have no matching authority record.

The above examples are correctly formatted, but because they are complex subject headings, they show errors.  As a reminder, MARC fields 600, 610, 650, and 651 fail to validate when delimited with subfields $x, $z, $v, $t, (etc.).  Because of this, do not be alarmed if you validate and most of your subjects show red.

Any red or unmatched terms that you wish to control must be linked to an authority record.  However, complex headings with additional subfields (like those in the above examples) should just be left as is, even if they are highlighted in red after validation.

For our purposes, linking should be focused primarily on simple headings that lack subdivisions.

So, for example, you would want to go ahead and link the following heading:

But you would leave the following heading as is:

How to Link Authorities

There are a couple of options for linking authorities.

The simpler, easier option of the two is to find another bib record that is linked and to copy and paste the whole relevant field from that bib record into the one you are currently updating using the Flat Text Editor interface.

For example, copying =100 1\$aSmith, Jeff,$d1939-2004$0(CARDINAL)467781, which is linked, from one bib record and pasting it into the bib record that has =100 1\$aSmith, Jeff,$d1939-2004, but is not linked.

The second option involves clicking the little "chain link" icon next to the MARC field (and before the green check mark or red exclamation point):

Clicking the icon brings up the Manage Authority Links window:

This window searches your term against the 1XX, 4XX, and 5XX fields in the authority record.  The results are organized roughly alphabetically, but there may be some odd outliers as you navigate through them.

Click the Next button until you reach the matching authority record you are looking for:

You may have to click through several pages of results before you can locate the authority record you want:

From there you can go to the authority record by clicking the ID number associated with it (#142681 in this example):

To link it to your original term, click the Apply button:

The window will close, and the bib record will now be linked to the authority record:

Important Reminder:  Linking a series will erase the punctuation from the subfield $a and the entire subfield $v from an 830 field, so you will need to make sure you type or paste that information back in.