LC Authorities now on the Web

[Ann Della Porta]

     The Library of Congress is pleased to announce a new feature,
Library of Congress Authorities, that provides access to LC authority
data via the Web.  LC made this feature available on July 1, 2002. 
Name, subject, and title authority records, (including series authority
records) are available to search, display, and download at this address:
http://authorities.loc.gov   
     Due to the high volume of users in the LC Online Catalog, the
Library of Congress currently limits simultaneous access to the LC
Database in order to ensure system performance for public users and
staff.  These limits will also apply to users of LC Authorities.  The LC
Online Catalog has proven so popular that it is often the case that all
connections are in use between 10:00am and 2:00pm (Eastern Time), Monday
through Friday.  We are aware how frustrating this is for our users and
we are working to increase the number of simultaneous external users. 
     Not included with this release are Z39.50 functionality; the full
MARC 21 character set for display and download of authority data; and
the approximately 2,300 subject subdivision records in the Library of
Congress Subject Heading file.  LC will collaborate with Endeavor
Information Systems, Inc., our ILS vendor, to add Z39.50 functionality
and these other features in a future release of Web Authorities.
     LC Authorities is intended to be a permanent service, offered free
of charge to users.  During the first phase of this implementation LC
will be gathering feedback from users to evaluate its usefulness and
determine how to improve its features.  Users should send comments to:
ils at loc.gov   A PowerPoint presentation on LC Authorities is
available at:  http://lcweb.loc.gov/ils/ALA02Arv.PPT
     The Library's Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) will continue
to provide full MARC 21 authority records (new, updated, and deleted)
through the MARC Distribution Services
(http://www.loc.gov/cds/mds.html), which are used to update
authority files in OCLC, RLIN, and many other vendor services.  Also
available from CDS is a new fee-based service called Classification Web
(http://www.loc.gov/cds/classweb.html), which provides Web access to
Library of Congress Classification and Library of Congress Subject
Headings.

Ann Della Porta
Assistant Coordinator
Integrated Systems Office
Library of Congress
Washington, DC  20540-4010
adel at loc.gov