The or GKD (translated as ''Corporate Bodies Authority File'') is a German

authority control In information science, authority control is a process that organizes information, for example in library catalogs, by using a single, distinct spelling of a name (heading) or a numeric identifier for each topic. The word ''authority'' in ''au ...

for the organisation of corporation names (corporate bodies) from catalogues. It is used mainly for documentation in

libraries A library is a collection of Document, materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or electronic media, digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a ...

. Like the (SWD) (English: Subject Headings Authority File) and the (PND) (English: Name Authority File), the GKD is looked after and updated by the

German National Library The German National Library (DNB; german: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its task is to colle ...

(DNB), the

Bavarian State Library The Bavarian State Library (german: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, abbreviated BSB, called ''Bibliotheca Regia Monacensis'' before 1919) in Munich is the central " Landesbibliothek", i. e. the state library of the Free State of Bavaria, the big ...

, the

Berlin State Library The Berlin State Library (german: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin; officially abbreviated as ''SBB'', colloquially ''Stabi'') is a universal library in Berlin, Germany and a property of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. It is one of the ...

and, since 1997, the

Austrian National Library The Austrian National Library (german: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek) is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the Neue Burg Wing of the Hofburg in center of V ...

, several library networks taking part. The responsible editor is the State Library in Berlin. The GKD was created in the 1970s from the catalogue data of the (ZDB). In April 2004 it contained more than 915,000 records. Since April 2012 GKD, SWD and PND are part of the (GND) (English: Integrated Authority File). GKD mirofiche 1988 05 all

Structure

As with the SWD and PND, the (RAK or RAK-WB) are used. They stipulate, amongst other things, what counts as a corporation. These include, ''inter alia'',

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

and associations such as firms and

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

s, but also congresses and exhibitions. In addition to names ( index terms and synonyms) of individual corporations, GKD data files contain links to parent bodies as well as earlier and later names. GKD records are uniquely identified by an ID number, the GKD number. The GKD number consists of digits, the last being a check digit, which can also be 'X' (for 10). The number ranges are divided into quotas by library network, so that, for newer records, it can be determined in which network they were created. The GKD, like the PND and SWD, is available to information systems in libraries (usually library networks) and other areas via the DDB file on a standard CD-ROM or through a Z39.50 interface - but usually only for a fee. For access to authority records, there is a separate (MAB) for Corporate Bodies called MAB-GKD. Previously

microfiche Microforms are scaled-down reproductions of documents, typically either films or paper, made for the purposes of transmission, storage, reading, and printing. Microform images are commonly reduced to about 4% or of the original document size. F ...

s were used (see illustration). The search for individual corporations enabled by the GKD is part of many catalogues. A link to the name authorities of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

is provided. A link to

Wikipedia Wikipedia is a multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read refer ...

is still in the planning stage.

Examples of a GKD file

;ID Number (''ID-Nummer''): 2144828-0 ;Entry (''Ansetzung''): Institut für Bibliothekswissenschaft <Berlin> ;Remarks (''Bemerkung''): Quelle: telM an DBL ;Abbreviation (''Abkürzung''): IfB ;Corporation dates (''Daten zur Körperschaft''): 1. Oktober 1994 ;First reference (''1. Verweisung''): Universität <Berlin, Humboldt-Universität> / Institut für Bibliothekswissenschaft ;Second reference (''2. Verweisung''): Universität <Berlin, Humboldt-Universität> / Philosophische Fakultät <1> / Institut für Bibliothekswissenschaft ;Former name (''Früherer Name'') (Reference to its own record): Institut für Bibliothekswissenschaft und Wissenschaftliche Information <Berlin> ;State code (''Ländercode''): XA-DE The example is not given directly in internal PICA+ or MAB format.

GKD references between data

GKD records can refer to one another using "Earlier/later name" and "belonging to" fields. The following example contains an extract:

External links

Information pages of the DNB
about the GKD

Search for GKD records
(DNB)
Search for GKD records
(HBZ) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gemeinsame Korperschaftsdatei 2012 disestablishments in Germany Library cataloging and classification Identifiers