Authority Lists
The Authority Lists page is the master file of your contributors — authors, illustrators, translators, corporate bodies. Each record holds the parts of the name, dates, language, country and region codes, a default contributor role, a biographical note and, for advanced users, the raw ONIX 3 contributor composite. Records can be locked against edits, and three account-wide options decide how the list is applied to your catalogues.
Where to find it
- Settings menu: Authority Lists. Route:
/preferences/authority-list. - Visible to accounts with access to Preferences.
Screen overview
- Search — queries the server as you type (half a second after the last keystroke) and returns to the first page. The Actions selector next to it is reserved for future features (Coming soon).
- Buttons — Add; Edit (one unlocked row selected); Lock, Unlock and Delete (one or more rows selected).
- Table — ID, Last modified, First name, Pref., Last name, Suf., Corporate and Locked (a padlock when the record is locked). Pages of 25, 50 or 100 rows; tick the checkboxes to select rows.
- Options — three groups of radio buttons, saved as soon as you click them (see below).
How to add or edit a contributor
- Click Add, or select exactly one unlocked row and click Edit.
- On the General tab, enter at least one of First name, Last name, Pref., Suf. or Corporate — the dialog refuses a record without a name (Enter at least one name (first, last, prefix, suffix, or corporate).). The other fields are optional: Title before name, Letters after name, Person name, Person name (inverted), Date of birth, Date of death, Language, Country, Region, Default role (the contributor role proposed by default) and Biographical note. When Define my own IDs is active (see below), an ID field appears first.
- Advanced users can switch to the ONIX3 Composite tab to edit the raw XML of the contributor composite. Click Validate to check it: The XML is valid. or The XML is invalid. Invalid XML cannot be saved; an empty composite is allowed.
- Click OK. The record is saved immediately and the list reloads.
Codes
The Language, Country, Region and Default role lists show each entry as code – name; type in the box to filter by either.
How to lock, unlock or delete records
- Tick one or more rows, then click Lock or Unlock. No confirmation is asked; locked records show a padlock and can no longer be edited.
- Tick one or more rows and click Delete, then confirm (Do you really want to delete this authority? or Do you really want to delete the selected authorities?). Deletion is immediate and permanent.
How to choose how the list applies
The options under the table are saved the moment you click a radio button:
| Option | Choices |
|---|---|
| Authority list mode | Automatic or Manual — whether the authority list is applied to contributors automatically. |
| Authority IDs | Use ONIXEDIT IDs or Define my own IDs. With your own IDs, the ID column shows them and the dialog lets you set one on each record. |
| Apply authority list | No restriction, Cloud only or Cloud + ONIXEDIT Pro — which applications the list applies to. |
Tips
- The ID column changes meaning with the Authority IDs option: ONIXEDIT's internal number, or the identifier you assigned.
- A search, a page change or a deletion clears the selection; lock and unlock keep it.
- The image of a contributor is displayed when one exists, but uploading a new one is not available yet (Image upload coming soon).
- Importing and exporting lists, importing pictures, selecting catalogues and applying the list to a catalogue will arrive with the Actions menu, which is disabled (Coming soon) in this release.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Edit button greyed out?
Edit needs exactly one selected row, and that row must not be locked. Unlock it first if needed.
What does Lock do?
A locked record can no longer be edited from this page. It can still be unlocked or deleted.
Can I import or export my authority list?
Not in this release. The Actions menu (Import / Export list, Import pictures, Select catalogues, Apply authority list to catalogue) is marked Coming soon.
Why won't OK close the dialog?
Either no name was entered (at least one of first name, last name, prefix, suffix or corporate is required) or the ONIX 3 composite is not valid XML.
Why can't I upload a contributor photo?
Image upload is not available yet. An existing image is still displayed in the dialog.