Authority control ensures the consistent use of names, titles and subject headings in the bibliographic records. Authority control is also based on the MARC21 standard. Koha allows for the importing, creating, editing, deleting, and merging of authority records.

MARC fields found in authority control records include:

1XX Main entries

4XX Series statements

6XX Subject headings

7XX Added entries other than subject or series

8XX Series added entries

Data entry is also controlled by the use of authorized values. Catalogers should pick values from drop-down menus that can be linked to any bibliographic field or subfield of a bibliographic framework (lists include collections, sources, languages, countries, and item types).

Use the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) as the primary standard for normalized Latin and Cyrillic alphabet names.

In Koha, preconfigured sets (templates) are available for all types of authority headings. Recently, templates for personal names, geographical names, and genres have been introduced and are being used (see samples for imported and original personal name headings below).

Sample personal name heading imported from the Library of Congress

000 - @ 00592cz a2200145n 4500

001 - @ 76

003 - @ DLC

005 - @ 20120906154248.0

008 - @ 870206n| acannaab |n aaa

010 ## - a LC control number n 86011130

035 ## - a System control number (DLC)n 86011130

040 ## - a Original cataloging DLC

c Transcribing agency DLC

100 10 - HEADING--PERSONAL NAME

a Personal name Bugajski, Janusz,

d Dates associated wit 1954-

670 ## - Source Data Found

a Source citation His Czechoslovakia, Charter 77's decade of dissent, 1987:

b Information found CIP t.p. (Janusz Bugajski) galley (research associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.; M.Phil. in social anthropology, London School of Econ. and Pol. Science) data sheet (b. 1954)

Sample personal name heading (original, bilingual record) created by OSA cataloger

000 - @ 00640nz a2200133n 4500

001 - @ 521

003 - @ hubpceu

005 - @ 20120926144419.0

008 - @ 120926|| aca||aabn | a|a d

040 ## - a Original cataloging hubpceu

100 ## - HEADING--PERSONAL NAME

a Personal name Spánn, Gábor

d Dates associated wit 1938-

670 ## - Source Data Found

b Information found 1956-os Intézet, Budapest

678 ## - Biographical or Historical Data

a Biographical or hist "Budapest, 1938. szept. 3.- Negyven évig volt a Magyar Televízió gyártásvezetője. Nyugdíjba vonulása után a Magyar Rádió jegyzetírója volt. Több könyv szerzője. Fedőneve: "Harmat Gábor". Beszervezésének dátuma: 1971. nov. 22. Az ÁBTL-ben két munkadossziéja olvasható: M-38 432 (1971-76) és M-38 432/1. (1976-80)."

Worked for the Hungarian Television as production manager. Publicist, writer. Joined the secret service in 1971, see his folder in ABTL archives, Budapest.