Authority Control of the Sinhala Personal Names in the Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Personal names play a crucial role in finding library sources and identifying authors. Previous research has revealed that the most popular search path in library automation systems is searching under personal names. However, variations in personal names adversely affect the quality of information retrieval, the linking of related resources, and copyright management. When using Sinhala personal names, misspellings of names, use of the same author's name in several forms, and the presence of the same name for two authors make it impossible for computers to recognise the use of such names. Consequently, those entries are retrieved as two separate individuals. To this, libraries employ internationally accepted authority control files. In Sri Lanka, it is evident that many libraries adhere to name formatting patterns without giving due consideration to proper international authority formats. Establishing a suitable fully automated author name authority file is essential to minimise this confusion. Additionally, adopting appropriate transliteration processes is essential for effective authority control functions. The primary objective of this study was to develop an automated authority file for the accurate identification of books by their respective authors' names. The names of authors recorded in the OPACs of the National Library of Sri Lanka and the University of Moratuwa were used as a sample to identify name variation, and a statistical method was used to list them and identify patterns. To ascertain the utilisation of author name authority control in such occasions, OPACs of selected libraries were examined using the web survey method. This process included examining previous names, confirming relevant name headings, determining access points, determining the form of headings, and verifying whether the same individual appeared under various name forms. The study compiled a list for automatic recognition and retrieval of appropriate name forms for the well-known names of recognised authors, to reduce errors in searching author names identified during the study. It enables uniformity of personal names in a country by facilitating all libraries using a single authority file.