Library of Congress Name Authority File

The Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) is one of the most comprehensive name authority resources in the world, providing standardized forms of names for persons, organizations, events, places, and titles used in bibliographic records. It is a cornerstone of library cataloging practice and a critical component of the linked data infrastructure maintained by the Library of Congress.

Background

The LCNAF traces its origins to the Library of Congress's cataloging practices, which have maintained authority records since the late 19th century. The formalized cooperative program known as NACO (Name Authority Cooperative Program) was established in 1977, enabling libraries beyond LC to contribute authority records following shared standards. The file has grown from a primarily Anglo-American resource to a truly international authority, with contributions from hundreds of institutions worldwide.

Purpose & Scope

The LCNAF serves as the definitive source for establishing consistent name headings in library catalogs. When a cataloger encounters a new author, corporate body, conference, or uniform title, they consult and contribute to the LCNAF to ensure that all works by or about an entity are collocated under a single authorized form.

The file contains over 8 million authority records encompassing:

• Personal names -- authors, artists, historical figures, and other individuals
• Corporate names -- organizations, government bodies, institutions
• Meeting/conference names -- named events and conferences
• Geographic names -- jurisdictions used as headings in bibliographic records
• Uniform titles -- standardized forms of titles for works known by multiple names

Each authority record includes the authorized form, cross-references from variant forms, and notes about the entity.

Serializations & Technical Formats

The LCNAF is available through the LC Linked Data Service (id.loc.gov) in multiple serializations:

The authority data is modeled using both MADS/RDF (Metadata Authority Description Schema) and SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System), and is exposed as both a MADS/RDF MADSScheme and a SKOS ConceptScheme. Bulk downloads and incremental exports are available for both ontological representations.

Governance & Maintenance

The LCNAF is maintained by the Library of Congress with cooperative contributions through the NACO program, part of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC). Hundreds of libraries and other institutions participate in NACO, following a shared set of standards and guidelines. Contributors create new authority records and propose modifications to existing ones. The Library of Congress coordinates the program and maintains the technical infrastructure.

Authority records are created according to Resource Description and Access (RDA) cataloging rules, with historical records reflecting earlier cataloging codes including AACR2.

Notable Implementations

The LCNAF is integrated into virtually every library cataloging system that supports MARC authority records. It is a fundamental component of:

• WorldCat -- OCLC's global union catalog references LCNAF authorities
• VIAF -- the Virtual International Authority File links LCNAF records to equivalent records from national libraries worldwide
• Wikidata -- LCNAF identifiers are widely used as external identifiers
• Library catalogs -- academic, public, and research libraries rely on LCNAF for consistent name headings

Related Standards

• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) -- the companion subject authority file
• Library of Congress Classification (LCC) -- LC's classification scheme, often used alongside LCNAF in cataloging
• VIAF -- aggregates LCNAF with other national authority files

Further Reading

• LC Linked Data Service
• NACO Program
• MADS/RDF Ontology