Geographic Authorities : Preferred Names, Qualifiers, and Name Changes

This chapter covers the basics of geographic authority work - establishing the preferred form of name; geographic qualifiers; and name changes of cities and their qualifiers.

Establishing geographic names

The LC-PCC-PS for RDA 16.2.2.2 instructs the cataloger to “base the preferred name on the form found in the resource being cataloged together with a consideration of the form found on the GEOnet Names Server (GNS): https://geonames.nga.mil/geonames/GNSHome/welcome.html when dealing with locations outside the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

Example (in MARC format):

151 Loeŭski rai︠o︡n (Belarus)

451 Loyewski Rayon (Belarus)

670 Pami︠a︡tsʹ, 2000: ǂb t.p. (Лоеўскі раён = Loeŭski rai︠o︡n)

670 GEOnet Names Server, Mar. 4, 2013 ǂb (Loyewski Rayon; in Homyelʹskaya Voblastsʹ, Belarus; ADM2; 52°00'N, 030°40'E)

The form of name used in the book in hand (Loeŭski rai︠o︡n) differs from the GEOnet Names Server form (Loyewski Rayon). The former is preferred, according to the LC-PCC-PS, and the GEOnet form is provided as a variant access point.

RDA 16.2.2.3 instructs the cataloger to “choose as the preferred name of a place (in this order): a) the form of the name in a language preferred by the agency creating the data [i.e. English], if there is one in general use; b) the form of the name in the official language of the jurisdiction in which the place is located.” In practical terms, choosing “the form of the name in a language preferred by the agency creating the data” is applicable mainly when dealing with countries and major (normally capital) cities - Bulgaria instead of Bŭlgarii︠a︡, for example, and Moscow instead of Moskva.

The second part of RDA 16.2.2.3 (to choose “the form of the name in the official language of the jurisdiction in which the place is located”) should in particular be borne in mind when dealing with a resource in a language other than that of the relevant jurisdiction. If the resource naming a Polish town is, for example, in French, the cataloger should establish the geographic name on the basis of an appropriate source in the Polish, providing variant access points for the French version and any GEOnet form.

Qualifiers in geographic names

RDA 16.2.2.4 and 16.2.2.12 (more specifically for Slavic names) instruct the cataloger to include the name of the country as a qualifier for smaller geographic entities. Hence, for example, the use of “(Belarus)” in the Loeŭski rai︠o︡n example above. Note that geographic qualifiers are not applied to the names of countries, including the names of Soviet republics.

The form of the qualifier must be the authorized form of the country, unless it is listed in RDA Appendix B11. In terms of Slavic entities, this affects only the Russian Soviet state, whose authorized form as a jurisdiction is Russian S.F.S.R. but which must be shortened, per the Appendix, to R.S.F.S.R. when applied as a qualifier. [The Appendix also includes the term U.S.S.R. as the abbreviated form of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; the latter, however, is not the authorized form for the Union. This is Soviet Union, which is not abbreviated when used as a qualifier].

Note that places which are located in autonomous republics (ARs) within Russia belong jurisdictionally to those ARs and should therefore standardly be qualified by the name of the AR in question rather than simply by Russia (e.g., Gunib (Dagestan, Russia) and not Gunib (Russia)).

Note that names of countries which themselves include a qualifier must be used without this qualifier (LC-PCC-PS for 16.2.2.4). For example, Georgia (Republic) is the authorized access point for modern Georgia, but the qualifying type of jurisdiction (Republic) is dropped when the heading is being used as a qualifier (e.g., Batumi (Georgia)). Indirect geographic subdivision, however, sees the qualifier re-introduced (i.e., Georgia (Republic)--Batumi).

An additional qualifier (the name of a high-level administrative division (an oblastʹ, for example)) must be added when distinguishing between two places with the same name (16.2.2.13). Note that the LC-PCC-PS for this rule states that conflict need not be between names already established. “If there is no existing conflict ... search gazetteers, etc., to determine if two or more places within the same jurisdiction have the same name or if two or more places with the same name would bear the same qualifier for the larger place.”

Examples (in MARC format):

151 Tverʹ (Russia)

781 0 ‡z Russia (Federation) ‡z Tverʹ

“(Federation)” drops out from “Russia (Federation)” when used as a qualifier for Tverʹ, but indirect geographic subdivision would see it retained, e.g., Historians--Russia (Federation)--Tverʹ.

151 Vanadzor (Armenia)

781 0 ‡z Armenia (Republic) ‡z Vanadzor

151 Prague (Czech Republic)

451 Praha (Czech Republic)

781 0 ‡z Czech Republic ‡z Prague

Similarly, in the first of these two examples, the “(Republic)” jurisdictional qualifier drops out in the 151, but is retained in geographic subdivision. Contrast with the second example. Here, “Republic” is not a qualifier but an intrinsic part of the country’s name proper - “Czech Republic” is therefore retained whole in its use as the qualifier here.

151 Dzetkavichy (Baranavitski rai︠o︡n, Belarus)

670 GEOnet, 28 May 2015 ‡b (Dzyetkavichy; PPL, 53°06ʹ58ʺN, 025°41ʹ47ʺE; Brestskaya Voblastsʹ […] another listed in Brestskaya Voblastsʹ)

781 0 ‡z Belarus ‡z Dzetkavichy (Baranavitski rai︠o︡n)

The other Dzetkavichy had not been established, but this Dzetkavichy was nevertheless given a regional qualification to avoid future conflict. Note that indirect geographical subdivision cannot, per SHM H 830, be more than two subfields long, and the first element must be the country name. The first element here is therefore “Belarus”, and the regional qualification remains a qualifier in the second element (the name of the city).

The form of the regional qualifier in the 151 must be the authorized form of the jurisdiction. Note, however, that it must be differently punctuated, to avoid parentheses within parentheses. “Baranavitski rai︠o︡n (Belarus)”, for instance, becomes “Baranavitski rai︠o︡n, Belarus” in the example above.

Changes in name and qualifier for cities

If a city changes its name, whether wholly or through a change of language, a separate authorized access point is established with the appropriate connection between the two headings made with 551 fields. (NACO Geographic FAQ #2)

Note that authorities for old names of cities cannot be used as subject headings; the current form must always be used instead.

If the qualifier for a city changes its name but the name of the city itself remains the same, the authorized access point for the city is changed to reflect the change in qualifier, with the old form provided as a variant access point. (ditto)

Example (in MARC format):

151 Nizhniĭ Novgorod (Russia)

451 ‡w nne ‡a Nizhniĭ Novgorod (R.S.F.S.R.)

551 Gorʹkiĭ (R.S.F.S.R.)

Gorʹkiĭ (which existed with that name solely in the Soviet period) was established as Gorʹkiĭ (R.S.F.S.R.). The city was renamed Nizhniĭ Novgorod in 1990, still during the Soviet period. The change of city name was appropriately marked by the creation of a new authority for Nizhniĭ Novgorod (R.S.F.S.R). When the Soviet period ended, the qualifier for the city changed from “R.S.F.S.R.” to “Russia”. The change of qualifier was marked through the change of the 151 form to Nizhniĭ Novgorod (Russia), with the R.S.F.S.R.-qualified form moved to become a variant access point, with a ‡w nne to denote an earlier authorized form of name.

This city is therefore now represented by two Name Authority File records - Gorʹkiĭ (R.S.F.S.R.) and Nizhniĭ Novgorod (Russia). Only the latter is available for subject usage.

Catalogers should note that the rules set out in this chapter - particularly in terms of name changes - have not always been followed closely in the past. Incorrect examples in the authority file should not be followed.

Revised: Feb. 2, 2023