Add/edit authority records
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Visit https://www.accesstomemory.org for information about AtoM, the currently supported version.
Add / edit authority records
Main Page > (UM) User manual > UM-3 Add / edit content > UM-3.2 Add / edit authority records
Overview
This page describes how to create, edit and delete authority records.
For detailed notes on individual fields, see the following pages:
For exiting edit mode (return to the view mode), see the following page:
Create a new authority record
1. Click the Add / edit tab on the Main menu bar.
2. Click the "Authority file" sub-tab on the Main menu bar; ICA-AtoM takes you to the List screen showing all existing authority records.
3. Click the Add new text that appears in the "Name" column header or the Add new button at the foot of the list; ICA-AtoM creates a new record and routes you to a blank Edit screen for data entry.
4. Enter data.
- See Data entry: authority records for detailed explanations and notes on fields.
5. To quit the create process without registering the new record, click the Cancel button in the Button block. ICA-AtoM returns you to your original starting point; no new record is created.
6. To register the new record, click the Create button. ICA-AtoM leaves you on the Edit screen but the changes the Button block to Save, Cancel, and Delete.
Authority records can also be created as part of the data entry process for an archival description and an archival institution.
Archival description
1. On the "Archival description > Context area" Edit screen, you use the "Creation context" section to register a creation event, associating an archival unit with its creator over a certain date range.
2. The drop-down list in the "Creator" field is generated from existing authority records. If the name of the creator does not appear in the drop-down list, enter a new name in the "Add new creator name" field.
3. Enter the remaining fields (dates of creation).
4. When you save the archival description record, ICA-AtoM creates both a new authority record for the creator and the creation event.
5. For more information on registering creator events see in this manual:
Archival institution
6. Whenever you create and save a new archival institution description, ICA-AtoM registers in addition a new authority record for the institution.
Edit an existing authority record
1. Navigate to the authority record you want to edit.
- For more information on navigation in ICA-AtoM, see in this manual: Access content.
2. Switch from view to edit mode by clicking the record's Title bar or Edit button in the Button block; this takes you to the Edit screen. It displays the record with all record areas closed; click on an area to access the fields grouped under it.
3. Add / revise data as required.
- See Data entry: authority records) for detailed explanations and notes on fields.
4. To discard all changes, click the Cancel button in the Button block; ICA-AtoM returns you to the View screen, with no changes saved.
5. To save changes, click the Save button in the Button block; ICA-AtoM commits the changes and re-loads the page.
- Note that re-loading the page causes all areas of description to close; this behaviour will be revised in a future release of ICA-AtoM (e.g. page will stay open as it was before save).
Delete an existing authority record
To delete an authority record:
1. Navigate to the authority record you want to delete.
- For more information on navigation in ICA-AtoM, see in this manual: Access content.
2. Switch from view to edit mode by clicking the record's Title bar or the Edit button in the Button block; this takes you to the Edit screen.
3. Click the Delete button in the Button block.
4. ICA-AtoM prompts you to confirm the delete request; click "OK".
5. ICA-AtoM deletes the record and returns you to the List screen.
6. Note the following consequences of deleting an authority record:
- If the entity is also registered as an archival institution, the archival institution record is also deleted.
- Any creation event linked to the entity is disassociated from the entity -- the event remains, but it no longer has the entity as its "subject". E.g. entity X is registered as the creator of archival unit Y over the date range 1964-1987; entity X is deleted; archival unit Y now simply has a date range 1964-1987 without associating this with any particular creator.
Exit the Edit screen
You can exit the Edit screen by a number of methods. Whatever you do, always click the Save button before exiting, otherwise any changes you made will be lost.
1. Click the Title bar to return to the description in view mode (View screen).
2. Click a sub-tab on the Main menu bar to go to that List screen.
3. Use the Search/browse box to run a search or browse action.
4. Click the ICA-AtoM logo to return to the Home screen.
5. Click a link on the System menu to launch some other action.
Last revised: 3 June 2008 (ICA-AtoM v0.6)