Critcatenate is an effort to keep folks up to date on #critcat efforts with a monthly roundup of news. #critcat is short for critical cataloging, an effort focusing on discussing the ethical implications of library metadata, cataloging, and classification standards, practice, and infrastructure.
- The Trans Metadata Collective is looking for new members. The group consists of “cataloguers, librarians, archivists, scholars, and information professionals with a concerted interest in improving the description and classification of trans, non-binary, Two Spirit, and other gender nonconforming people in GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums),” with the primary goal “to develop a set of best practices for the description and classification of gender nonconforming information resources.”
- Survey respondents are requested for “Changing the Subject: Offensive Terms in KOS and Library Metadata,” a research study by Athena Salaba asking about local practices regarding offensive terminology in subject and genre vocabularies. (Only open to U.S. respondents.)
- “Antiracism Resources: Reassessing Library of Congress Subject Headings“: blog post from Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) with a roundup of efforts to revise LCSH from across the U.S.
- “Examining Evolving LGBTQIA+ Language,” blog post featuring the Chicago History Museum’s efforts to assess LGBTQIA+-related language & incorporate new terminology.
- “Don’t Dream It’s Over; or, A Return to Cataloguing“: personal blog post from from Alissa McCulloch discussing the need to revisit subject headings, especially those relating to the culture of Aboriginal Australians.
- “Librarian and Documentarian Jill Baron MLIS’12 Shares Career Path, Details SC&I’s Influence,” interview featuring the motivation behind Change the Subject, the documentary film about the LCSH “Illegal aliens”
- “Optimizing Elasticsearch Search Experience Using a Thesaurus,” new article in Code4Lib Journal by Emmanuel Di Pretoro [and others] featuring a detailed explanation of a mechanism to implement “if the user types X search for Y” (hat tip to Graeme Williams!).
- “Indigenous Knowledges,” a new special issue of KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies, includes articles about archives and other cultural institutions.
- Critcat-related sessions that happened at ALA Annual 2021:
- “Cultural Responsiveness in the Library: Centering Equity Beyond Collection Development,” on-demand session presented by librarians from the Chicago Public Schools discussing their Critical Cataloging Project.
- “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the Library and Technical Services” was the theme of this year’s Role of the Professional Librarian in Technical Services Interest Group session, featuring these topics:
- “Inclusive Cataloging Practices” by Alyssa Koclanes
- “Embracing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion with Local Subject Headings” by Brian Stearns
- “Addressing Systemic Racism in Metadata” by Jessie Copeland & Lars Meyer.
- “What’s in a Name?: LGBTQ+ and Latinx Perspectives on Access Terminology—Challenges and Solutions” panel discussion featuring Jamie A. Lee, Emily Drabinski, and Andrea Guzman.
- The Core Catalog Form and Function Interest Group featured a conversation on defining ways to address harmful language and harmful biases in catalogs, including information from Bela Gupta on new LCSH terms she has proposed for tribes in India.
- Also during ALA Annual 2021: Two resolutions were presented at ALA Council related to the “Illegal aliens” LCSH: “Resolution on Replacing the Library of Congress Subject Heading Illegal Aliens Without Further Delay” and “Resolution on Greater Transparency in the Library of Congress Subject Headings Revision Process.” Both resolutions failed to pass ALA Council. Find more discussion about the resolutions, coauthored by Tina Gross, Jill Baron, and Violet Fox, on this Twitter thread.
Upcoming:
- July 7: “Decolonizing the Catalog: Anti-Racist Description Practices from Authority Records to Discovery Layers” webinar from Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) featuring these topics:
- Elizabeth Hobart will discuss the inadequacy of current subject headings related to anti-racism and the difficulties that patrons face in locating anti-racism books in the library catalog
- Staci Ross and Michelle Cronquist will detail their work as Co-Chairs of the African American Subject Funnel Project
- Kelly Farrell will discuss the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN) collaborative efforts to remap problematic, outdated, and offensive LC Subject Headings by “replacing” these terms in their public catalog/ discovery layer.
- July 9-11: North American Symposium on Knowledge Organization. This year’s session topics include Topics include Indigenous knowledge systems, video game metadata, graffiti hashtags, equitable cataloging, fiction genres, and more.
- July 19-23: 2021 LD4 Conference on Linked Data. Registration is free; critcat-relevant sessions include “Is User-Centered Design in Conflict with Cataloging Ethics?” presentation by Peggy Griesinger, Mikala Narlock, and Hanna Bertoldi, discussing the tension between creator privacy and user needs, as well as a discussion and workshop on “Queering the Linked Data Universe: Word- and World-defining with the Homosaurus” from Bri Watson.
- July 26-30. ALA Core Virtual Interest Group Week. Sessions will happen all week, with two critcat-related sessions on July 28: the Cataloging and Classification Research Interest Group (CCRIG) will feature presentations on the theme “Ethical Cataloging: Toward Diversity and Inclusiveness” and the Metadata Interest Group will feature presentations on the topic of library metadata & EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion).
- August 12: “Cataloging Queer Library Issues: A Symposium to Honor Walt ‘Cat’ Walker” is not just cataloging, but will feature cataloging and multiple other topics related to queer issues in academic libraries. Stay tuned for more info about session content.
Please get in touch if I’ve missed anything relevant, I’d be happy to add it to next month’s report!