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Setting Up Server Access
I was unfortunately unable to set up access to Joshua’s Whitney database server before the break. I have an appointment to troubleshoot the issue with Alison on Thursday, January 5th at 3.
VIAF
My first attempt at gathering name authorities for the founding collection will involve querying VIAF, as they seemed to have the most consistent records for the somewhat obscure Acquisition-related constituents during my initial search.
VIAF has a pretty standard API (https://platform.worldcat.org/api-explorer/apis/VIAF), which seems like it should be straightforward to query. Since I don’t have any IDs from other authorities to start with, I would use the Authority Cluster Auto Suggest method.
An initial Authority Cluster Auto Suggest search for Briggs Buchanan, a constituent from the Gift list, yields this record (http://viaf.org/viaf/64028666/) which seems to be for the right person (died in 1976, seems to have been an art history scholar).
Querying With Python
I created a Python script to query VIAF using the Auto Suggest method, which seems to have been a success.
Both VIAF and LC URIs are now saved in CSV files for the Gift and Purchase-related constituents.
These URIs seem for the most part to be accurate, although a few point to the wrong URI (Edward Root to his foundation instead of his personal name, Thomas Donnelly to the wrong Thomas Donnelley)
VIAF URIs sometimes contain links to the person’s corresponding URI on Wikidata and ULAN, so querying these sites may be a next step.
