A compilation of statements from libraries and archives on harmful or offensive language in description and bias in cataloging. This list includes both statements about problematic language in both description and resources themselves, as statements about resources will frequently discuss the description of those resources.
last updated September 9 2020
- Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). [Sensitivity message appears as a pop-up with information about language used in resources]
- Brown University Library. Terminology [statement on African American history description]
- DPLA Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection. Harmful Language Statement
- Drexel University Libraries. Statement on Harmful Content in Archival Collections.
- Library and Archives Canada. Historical language advisory
- National Library of Australia. [Statement on the bottom of each catalog page]
- National Library of Australia. Trove [database aggregator]. [Pop up statement with option to “show cultural advice” on materials considered culturally sensitive]
- Philadelphia Museum of Art. Ethical Cataloging Statement
- Presbyterian Historical Society. Digital Collection Offensive Language Policy
- Princeton University Library. Statement on Language in Archival Description
- Stanford Special Collections and University Archives. Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Cataloging and Archival Description
- State Library of Western Australia. [Statement at the top of each catalog page]
- Swarthmore College Library. The Words We Choose [brief statement with link to Temple statement]
- Temple University Libraries. Special Collections Research Center. SCRC Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Archival Description and Cataloging
- Tufts University. Digital Collections & Libraries. DCA Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Archival Description [based on the Temple statement]
- University of Iowa Libraries. Diversity, equity, & inclusion in the library’s online catalog [blog post]
- University of Nebraska Omaha Libraries. Statement on Harmful Material
- University of North Carolina Libraries. Conscious Editing Initiative
- University of Oregon Libraries. Statement Regarding Objectionable Content and Statement on Racism and Systemic Inequalities
- University of Texas at El Paso. Statements on Archival Content and Description
- University of Virginia Library. Potentially Offensive Materials Disclaimer
- University of Waterloo Library Special Collections & Archives. Language in Archival Descriptions
- University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries. Digitized Archival and Special Collections: Potential Offensive Materials
- Wake Forest University Special Collections & Archives. Insensitive and Discriminatory Content in Wake Forest’s Howler Yearbooks and Other Records
For additional information and resources, see Tuft’s bibliography: Additional Reading: Potentially Harmful Language in Archival Description or Harvard Center for the History of Medicine’s Guidelines for Inclusive and Conscientious Description