"Authority work is the linchpin of the library catalog. As Maxwell puts it, "Without authority control the burden is placed on the user to think of all the possible forms a cataloger might have used to give access in the catalog to a given author or subject." From one of the preeminent experts in the field, this step-by-step guide for ensuring that your library and staff are creating and maintaining authority records with the end user in mind is a must-have." "In this text, authority work is broken down to its most basic components so that you can trace and follow the preparation of a complete authority record. Helpful illustrations identify the key characteristics of good authority records, common acronyms are defined, and cross-references throughout reinforce material." "The authoritative tool for making certain a person, author, corporate body, organization, book, or other media is appropriately accessible under its authority name, subject, and form, Maxwell's should be part of any library's toolbox."--Jacket.