When Public Identity Meets Personal Privacy: Ethical Considerations for the Use of Dates of Birth in Name Authority Records for Living Persons

Abstract

This chapter tackles one long-standing aspect of authority control: the use of birth dates in personal name authority records for living persons. After explaining the boundaries of this chapter and exploring the inherent tension between authority control and privacy, the chapter provides an overview of the current use of birth dates in personal name authority records and reflects on the privacy ethics at play. The chapter concludes with recommendations for ways we as catalogers can use birth dates in a more ethical manner.