Preference for Fullest Forms of Names in SNAC

In an effort to document and display the fullest amount of knowledge about an entity as possible, SNAC editors should establish the fullest possible name as the preferred name entry whenever possible. N.B. This form may or may not be the same form that appears in the Library of Congress Name Authority File. If the LCNAF form differs from the preferred name, it should be added as an alternative, non-preferred name form.

Examples for person names

• Hamer, Fannie Lou
  • not Hamer, Fannie L.

• Reeves, Dache McClain
  • not Reeves, Dache M.

Exceptions: In some cases, forms with initialisms are warranted

• Du Bois, W. E. B.
  • not Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt

N.B.: W. E. B. Du Bois is best known by the form with initials.

Examples for corporate body names

• International Business Machines Corporation
  • not IBM

• National Broadcasting Company
  • not NBC

Exceptions: In some cases, abbreviations are warranted when an acronym is used is more familiar

• AFL-CIO
  • not American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

N.B.: AFL-CIO is best known by the acronym.

Examples for family names

• Harlan (Family : Lee County, Iowa : Harlan, Aaron W., 1811-1911)
• Syphax (Family : Arlington, Va. : Syphax, Charles)

Sources for names

Editors should consult current SNAC policy, Citations in SNAC: Sources and Format.

Justification in content standards and rules

Posting the fullest form of name as access points is consistent with current guidance from both RDA (Resource Description and Access) and the NACO Participant’s Manual (4th ed., 2020). Additionally, DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard) instructs users to record the name of an entity being described … in accordance with standardized vocabularies (LCNAF) or with rules for formulating standardized names ... RDA or ISAAR(CPF).