Editing Authority control (section)

==Benefits of authority control==
* ''Better researching''. Authority control helps researchers understand a specific subject with less wasted effort.<ref name=tws2NovYfuf/> A well-designed digital catalog/database enables a researcher to query a few words of an entry to bring up the already established term or phrase, thus improving accuracy and saving time.<ref name=tws2NovY323/>
* ''Makes searching more predictable''.<ref name="tws2NovY909">{{cite news|url=http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/staff/training/training_docs/authority_control_unicorn.shtml|title=Authority Control in Unicorn WorkFlows August 2001|last=University Libraries|date=2012|access-date=23 January 2020|quote=Why Authority Control?}}</ref> It can be used in conjunction with keyword searching using "and" or "not" or "or" or other [[Logical connective|Boolean operators]] on a web browser.<ref name=tws2NovY877/> It increases chances that a given search will return relevant items.<ref name="tws2NovY323">{{cite news|url=https://staff.lib.ncsu.edu/confluence/display/MNC/brief+guidelines+on+authority+control+decision-making|title=Brief guidelines on authority control decision-making|last=NCSU Libraries.|date=2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113100248/https://staff.lib.ncsu.edu/confluence/display/MNC/brief+guidelines+on+authority+control+decision-making|archive-date=13 January 2013}}</ref>
* ''Consistency of records''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/authorityworkcre00burg|url-access=registration|title=Authority work: The creation, use, maintenance, and evaluation of authority records and files.|last=Burger|first=R.H.|publisher=Libraries Unlimited|year=1985|isbn=9780872874916}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=orhBAAAACAAJ | title=Authority Control: Principles, Applications, and Instructions | publisher=UMI Books on Demand | author=Clack, D.H. | year=1990 | isbn=9780608014432}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/maxwellsguidetoa00maxw_0|url-access=registration|title=Maxwell's guide to authority work|last=Maxwell|first=R.L.|publisher=Garfield Library Association|year=2002|isbn=9780838908228}}</ref>
* ''Organization and structure of information''.<ref name=tws2NovYfuf/>
* ''Efficiency for catalogers''. The process of authority control is not only of great help to researchers searching for a particular subject to study, but it can help catalogers organize information as well. Catalogers can use authority records when trying to categorize new items, since they can see which records have already been cataloged and can therefore avoid unnecessary work.<ref name=tws2NovYfuf/><ref name=tws2NovY877/>
* ''Maximizes library resources''. Authority control helps ensure libraries have an accurate inventory of their materials, so that, for example, duplicate orders are not placed for an already owned resource.<ref name=tws2NovYfuf/>
* ''Fewer errors''. It can help catch errors caused by typos or misspellings which can sometimes accumulate over time, sometimes known as ''quality drift''. These errors can then be corrected by library staff or by automated clean-up software.<ref name="tws2NovY312">{{cite news|url=http://www.tnla.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=44|title=Got authorities? Why authority control is good for your library|last=Wells|first=K.|date=n.d.|access-date=23 January 2020|publisher=Tennessee Libraries|archive-date=13 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113095549/http://www.tnla.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=44|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Calhoun/>