The Anglo-American Authority File: A PCC Story

Abstract

• This article examines the motivations for the collaboration between the British Library and Library of Congress to develop a joint (Anglo-American) authority file. It describes the obstacles that had to be overcome for the British Library to become a Name Authority Cooperative (NACO) “copy holder”, or node. It considers the contribution the British Library made to NACO, the benefits it has derived from participation in Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC), and concludes by looking ahead to the next 25 years.