Books, ebooks, films, music, sound, slides ; Journal and newspaper articles; Statistics and government sources; Selected Internet sources; Research guides for related subjects; Ask us! The survey was advertised through an informal social media posting. For example, Duke’s Stephen Duvall Doar Correspondence collection describes the act of “hiring” enslaved people during the Civil War. Most libraries and archives still use very problematic subject headings. In 2013, the AMA-MAIN LCSH Working Group was formed to address these issues. However, many institutions housing cultural heritage collections use antiquated archival descriptions and legacy metadata that should be revisited to better reflect 21st century language and ideologies. Some of these resources include metadata auditing practices from other institutions, recommendations on how to include communities in archival description, and frameworks for decolonizing their descriptions. I saw this experience as an opportunity to learn what scholars in our field are actually doing to make libraries a more equitable and diverse place. Decolonizing: Dialogues, Solidarities, and Activism: Semester in Dialogue. I could talk about LCSH in relation to decolonizing archival descriptions for days on end, but for the sake of wrapping up this post I won’t. There is a lot of great insight and information here. LCSH comprises a thesaurus or a controlled vocabulary of subject headings which is used by a cataloger or an indexer to assign subject headings to a bibliographic record to represent the subject of a work he/she is cataloging. While the use of LC standards comes with many recognized advantages, it understandably causes challenges in terms of adequate and appropriate … Every person visiting the collection to view this specific correspondence may not know the information you provided here. In many cases, offensive archival descriptions are sourced from donors and creators. Be sure to also visit Duke Digital Collections. This overview does not come close to covering half of what invested scholars and institutions have contributed to this work. This is something myself and colleagues … Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) Are Unavoidable. Issues regarding contextualizing racist ideologies from the past can be found throughout Duke’s digital collections. Their purpose was to propose a plan of action on how descriptive metadata practices could more accurately and respectfully represent Indigenous peoples. (2014) RDA Perceptions among Malaysian catalogers. The Association of Manitoba Archives also recently released a new list of subject headings specific to indigenous peoples in Manitoba. On this page. Food and beverages were provided and a safe space for open conversation. Be open to having discussions with staff to learn what offensive language they also have come across. subject heading lists, thesauri, and even residually in metadata standards. “Westerners use their labels, so it makes tribes invisible,” Tarango said. The membership quickly pointed out issues with LCSH terms related to Indigenous peoples. Thank you. I think the information you provided in your comment is a great start to a revised description for this item if the correspondence states that the enslaved person was compensated for their labor. One of the most important ways it does this, said acting head librarian at X̱wi7x̱wa Adolfo Tarango, is by using subject headings that reflect a tribe’s preferred name. If it does, then the information you provided should be included within the archival description. Title: Decolonizing subject headings at Red River College in Winnipeg. Now that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are popular concerns for libraries throughout the United States, discussions on DEI are inescapable. Duke’s digital collections boasts 131,169 items and 997 collections, across 1,000 years of history from all over the world. Several academic institutions have taken steps to decolonize their collections. They're always looking for submissions :). Myron- interest in decolonizing description project taken on by University of Alberta. In addition to knowledge gathering events, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students and alumni were consulted through an informal short online survey. Some of these institutions include: After gathering a list of institutions with harmful language statements, the next phase of my investigation was to conduct a comparative analysis to uncover what they had in common and how they differed. It was a pleasure exploring the Rubenstein collection! Due to the limited amount of research on this subject, most of the information I came across was related to decolonizing collections describing Indigenous peoples in Canada and African American communities. This has been a much-debated topic in librarianship in the US for decades. From this investigation, I created the Harmful Statement Research Log to record my findings. However, the problem with using custom made subject headings that are more culturally relevant and respectful is accessibility. It was created by a Kahnawá:ke librarian in the 70s and has been used by indigenous libraries in Canada like the Xwi7xwa Library at UBC. This collection comprises of over 5,000 black and white photographs taken by Sidney D. Gamble during his four visits to China from 1908 to 1932. These three words have become reoccurring buzzwords dropped in meetings, classroom lectures, class syllabi, presentations, and workshops across the LIS landscape. While learning subject cataloging, I was disgusted to see how outdated some of the terminology was. Some of Berry’s examples include: This is only a handful of problematic description examples from Berry’s presentation. He's a controversial figure, but it's a good place to start if you want to learn more about the challenges in this area. As an African American MLIS student at the University of Denver, I can say I have listened to one too many superficial talks on why DEI is important in our field. Mak, B. Removing bias: subject headings can reinforce and perpetuate negative stereotypes. Princeton University Library’s inclusive description working group spent two years researching and gathering data on their collections before implementing any changes. An example of this codification can be seen in the recent cancelation of the Illegal Alien subject heading in the LOC classification system - a subject heading rife with historically racist and dehumanizing connotations. These systems further perpetuate preconceived notions of Indigenous People, BPOCQT and further marginalizes us, our knowledge systems and how individuals do (or most of the time … Let your users know why you are limited to subject headings that may be harmful and that you recognize the issue this presents to the communities you serve. And maybe you can contribute an article on the subject? Research sources. During my investigation, I examined Duke’s MARC records from the collection level to locate examples of harmful language used within their descriptions. This particular collection is interesting as it relates to Charleston, the only city known to have a formalized system for regulating the leasing of enslaved persons’ labor. While exploring Duke’s digital collections, one problem that stood out to me the most was the perpetual valorization of creators. This toolkit will assist academic and public libraries in conducting an evaluation of the subject headings in their catalogues in the decolonization process of removing culturally insensitive headings that cause harm to Indigenous communities. Through the activism of students, educators, and librarians, this subject heading made national headlines and led to two new headings: Noncitizens and Unauthorized … Your email address will not be published. This is an example of when archival description should not shy away from the realities of racist language used during the period the collection was created in; however, context should be applied. An example of these residues is the Library of Congress’s subject headings, which continue to include outdated terms like “Indians of North America,” use generic descriptors instead of specific historical or legal But here's the thing, you don't have to obey the rules. Marginalized peoples are not a monolith; therefore, there is no “one size fits all” solution. As a practicum intern in Duke Libraries’ Digital Collections and Curation Services (DCCS) department, I spent three months exploring frameworks for auditing legacy metadata against DEI values and investigating harmful language statements for the department. The system incorporates Indigenous perspectives when categorizing books. I don't recommend reading through the listed subject headings in their publications because that won't show you practical applications (and it's just too massive to be useful). If your library is progressive enough, you can catalog it however you want in your system, if you feel your patrons can find an item better using a different subject term, then use it. We recognize that language around many subjects continually evolves in our media and culture. Lilley, Spencer C. (2015) Ka Pō, Ka Ao, Ka Awatea: The Interface between Episteology and Māori Subject Headings. Cataloguing is bound by strict rules, so it isn't easy to change subject headings. A group of sixth formers from London are campaigning to change the way British colonial history is taught on the National Curriculum. Sidney D. Gamble’s Photographs collection, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/copper-neck-tags-evoke-experience-american-slaves-hired-out-part-time-laborers-76039831/, https://find.library.duke.edu/catalog/DUKE005688936, Understanding the experiences and needs of Black students at Duke, Here’s What Happened Next: The Duke Digital Production Center in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Indexing variant names from the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) in TRLN Discovery, Library study space design: Intentional, inclusive, flexible, Data Sharing and Equity: Sabrina McCutchan, Data Architect. Recommended reading for everyone. Subject Heading List is the printed or published list of subject headings which may be produced from the subject authority file maintained by an organization or individual. You should look into Brian Deer Classification. She's started The Cataloging Lab to attempt to find better subject headings to submit to LoC. Many institutions use custom made subject headings to promote their collections respectfully and appropriately. Unfortunately, this is impossible. I'm going to dive in with some research and take some of the practical steps your suggested (such as focusing on one area). Participants were asked questions based on their feelings and reactions to potentially changing the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) that related to Aboriginal content. Decolonizing projects come under external backlash and dismissal, as well. H 0800 - H 0900 - H 1000 - H 1100 - H 1200 - H 1300 - H 1400 - H 1500 -. While in some contexts, topics in DEI are thrown around with no sincere intent or value behind them, some institutions are taking steps to give meaning to DEI in librarianship. language of subject headings continues to marginalize and colonize minorities, such as: people of colour, Indigenous peoples, women, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and other cultures or belief systems that were not recognized or accepted in the past. Decolonizing Archival Descriptions & Legacy Metadata. Recent public dismissals of Indigenous scholarship as unscientific or untrue have coincided with the “prank” publishing of “feminist” and “queer” articles that would demean entire schools of critical thought under the auspices of “academic grievance studies” or PC-culture. If no one is using your custom-made subject headings when conducting a search, users and aggregators won’t find the information. Little, if any, historical or cultural context is given to help educate users on the culture behind the collection. I will definitely be watching this! The first harmful archival description I encountered was from the Alfred Boyd Papers. Add" consists of subject headings that will be added to the existing LCSH subject headings in MAIN. This is a great article from your neck of the woods at the University of Winnipeg Libraries by Michael Dudley. An Intern’s Investigation on Decolonizing Archival Descriptions and Legacy Metadata. However, they do have their limitations. MeSH still has gaps but it is updated much more frequently than LCC and for that I am grateful. Also consider collaborating with Cataloginglab.org to help design new LCSH proposals and to stay abreast on new LCSH that better reflect DEI values. Farnel refers to these meetings as “knowledge gathering events”. It was usually, though not always, forced labor. & E. Ramdzan. Laurier Cress is a graduate student at the University of Denver studying Library Science with an emphasis on digital collections, rare books and manuscripts, and social justice in librarianship and archives. I'm not in a place to start it but if there is someone already working on it, I would love to assist in anyway I can (remotely, of course). Those interested in the subject, can also read this recent article. This is often found in collections with creators who are white men. Well, each DDC update takes 7 years so unless you get involved with OCLC, I doubt there's much you can do. That's doing good for people who come to that library too. Simply running a report to search for offensive terms such as “negro”, or in my case “mulatto”, is a good place to start. It is my hope that this brief overview on decolonizing archival collections not only aids Duke, but other institutions as well. The tab labeled "2. And, as useful as these systems of organization have been, they have The AMA also loaded the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) into MAIN, so a controlled subject vocabulary could be used in the descriptions. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This work is … Auditing Legacy Metadata and Archival Descriptions. Your email address will not be published. Google Sandy Berman from Hennepin County. Thanks for your reply! But if it does, then the item would greatly benefit from having this information included within the description. While this word is used to describe the girl within the papers, it should not be used to describe the person within the archival description without historical context. Subject headings are a set of controlled terms set by the Library of Congress (other controlled vocabularies exist) that appear on the vast majority of records on our catalogue and are usually a useful tool for finding specific items or determining the extent of a particular subject in our collections. This post was written by Laurier Cress. This defeats the purpose of decolonizing archival collections, which is to make collections that represent marginalized communities more accessible. The archival description describes a girl referenced within the papers as “a free mulatto girl”. Content within the photographs encompass depictions of people, architecture, livestock, landscapes, and more. Before engaging with the entire community, the team first engaged with community elders to learn how to proceed with consulting the community from a place of respect. Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is the list of headings produced from the subject authority file maintained by the United States Library of Congress for use in bibliographic records.It is popularly known by its abbreviation as LCSH and is sometimes used interchangeably with the phrase subject authority file.LCSH is a controlled vocabulary. It is important for me to note, while some of the information provided within the research log is based on pure observation, much of the report also includes conclusions based on personal opinions born from my own perspective as a user. H 0000 - H 0100 - H 0200 - H 0300 - H 0400 - H 0500 - H 0600 - H 0700 -. Slavery does not imply hired labor because hiring implies some form of compensation. Problematically, the United States' colonial history is evident in the way the Library of Congress has historically classified certain topics. The research log comprises of two tabs. This is not always intentional. The tab labeled "3. The Library of Congress uses controlled vocabularies and subject headings to classify bibliographic material. LC Deputy Director of Communications Bill Ryan wrote in a July 2020 email: “We appreciate the concerns raised by our fellow librarians over this subject heading. I'd use WorldCat and find a library to scour through for applications of subject headings to see how they're being used in real libraries. The last thing you want to see is an an offensive or outdated term when trying to figure out your medical stuff. And since it was in the US, it ended being quite a political … During my investigation, I created a list that comprises of 41 harmful language statements. I f a relevant subject heading is harmful or pejorative, consider using a locally-devised heading instead (Boyd). The process of changing subject headings (specifically the term 'illegal alien') is documented in the film 'Change the Subject' ( https://sites.dartmouth.edu/changethesubject/ ) - I attended a screening of it a few months ago. The use of dated language within library and archival collections encourages the inequality of underrepresented groups through the promotion of discriminatory infrastructures established by these earlier classification systems. Press J to jump to the feed. At the beginning of my investigation, a mentor of mine referred me to the University of Alberta Library’s (UAL) Head of Metadata Strategies, Sharon Farnel. Language is continuously evolving according to societal discourse and politics; therefore, if libraries are to maintain their social responsibility to provide information to all, including socially disadvantaged and marginalized peoples, then librarians must continuously advocate for changes to subject headings. Like most large academic libraries in North America, University of Alberta Libraries (UAL) currently relies heavily on Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Library of Congress Classification (LCC) for subject access to both our print and digital collections. And since it was in the US, it ended being quite a political matter. Not sure how it applies to Canada. The bonus here is if you see an outdated subject heading, you can contact the system and have them correct it to the current one. Project involves 12-month contract hire and will look at revising description practices and subject headings. Decolonizing Description? For more on hiring out enslaved labor in Charleston, see https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/copper-neck-tags-evoke-experience-american-slaves-hired-out-part-time-laborers-76039831/. In a perfect world we would stop using LCSH altogether. Changing headings can reflect positive changes in society and potentially put new terminology into more general use . 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