Starting in 2025, Proyplaeum’s offerings will also include an “Authority file service for Classical Studies", which provides support for the inclusion of entities (persons, institutions, subject terms, work titles, etc.) in the Joint Authority File (GND).
This service is intended for researchers and scholars, as well as memory institutions in the field of classical studies, who, in the course of cataloging and research projects, identify authority records needed but missing from the Gemeinsame Normdatei (GND), yet do not have direct access to the GND editorial teams.
The need to create new or improve domain-specific GND authority records also arises in Propylaeum’s diverse content-related collaborations with scholars, such as in the development of subject bibliographies, digital editions, image collections in PropylaeumImages, or retro-digitized historical collection focus materials. At the request of these collaboration partners, as well as other interested scholars, the Heidelberg University Library undertakes this authority data work.

Propylaeum thus actively supports the free availability of research and collection data for the classical studies community in the Integrated Authority File (GND) as well as publication in international reference systems, such as the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF). By providing in-depth authority data, the FID plays a key role in helping digital collections meet the requirements of the FAIR principles.
The activities are part of the ‘Network Arts and Culture’ authority file work of the FID system.