Critcatenate is an effort to keep folks up to date on critcat efforts with a monthly-ish roundup of news. Critcat is short for critical cataloging, focusing on the ethical implications of library metadata, cataloging, and classification practice, standards, and infrastructure.
N.B.: Your faithful Critcatenate editor put the news roundup on pause while she was looking for work and brutally depressed about the miserable job search; she’s now employed full time and returning to slowly pick up the pieces. Critcatenate returns with a non-exhaustive list of highlights from 2026 thus far.
#critcat in January through October 2026.
- bibliography published in April 2026: the Digital Library Federation Committee for Equity and Inclusion (DLF CEI) has published a Zotero resource library supporting greater inclusion and equity in GLAM spaces, as well as individual professional and personal growth.
- article published in March 2026: Seeking Approval, Confronting Objectivity: Neutrality in the Library of Congress Subject Headings Approval Process / Allison Bailund, Deborah Tomaras, Michelle Cronquist and Tina Gross, published in In the Library with the Lead Pipe
- article published in April 2026: The State of Inclusive Metadata Practices in Digital Libraries: Evidence from Metadata Professionals at R1 Institutions by Stephanie M. Luke &Trevor Stratton, published in Cataloging & Classification Quarterly
- article published in October 2026: Practicing Cataloging Ethics: Shifting Perspectives from 2019 to 2024 by Karen Snow & Elizabeth Shoemaker, published in Cataloging & Classification Quarterly
- article published in January 2026: Environmental Scan of Critical and Inclusive Cataloging/Metadata Projects in US Academic Libraries by Tiffany Henry, published in Library Resources & Technical Services
- article published in January 2026: Creating an Online Arabic/English Thesaurus Based on Linked Data by Magda El Sherbini, published in Library Resources & Technical Services
- article published in July 2026: Operationalizing Bias by K.R. Roberto, about the author’s experience as a trans PhD student studying and pushing for radical changes in library classification. Published in Mumurations: A Trans and Gender Diverse Library Journal
- article published in January 2026: The Biomedical Model of Disability and Academic Library Classification by Rebecca Hill Renirie, published in The Journal of Academic Librarianship
- article published in September 2026: Queering Archival Metadata? The Discoverability of Queer Collections in GLAM Institutions and Universities in Aotearoa New Zealand Open Access by Alison Day, published in The Journal of Documentation
- webinar from April 2026: Critical Cataloging & Librarianship Today: Ethics, Power, and Possibility, the Womack Webinar hosted by Fresno State Library and moderated by Julie Renee Moore and featuring Emily Drabinski, Violet Fox, Karen Snow, and Billey Albina
- report published in June 2026: Critical Cataloging and Librarianship Today: Report from the Fresno State Womack Lecture Series by William C. Buie, published in Technical Services Quarterly
- webinar from October 2026: Classification as Outreach by Julia Bullard, exploring “how inviting community into classification work can strengthen our relationships as well as our systems”. Sponsored by the ASIS&T Classification and Metadata Research special interest group.
- webinar from June 2026: “It Isn’t Part of Our Language”: Self-Naming and Indigenous Peoples in Library Data by Laura Daniels and Steven Folsom, highlighting work done to engage with Haudenosaunee leaders to facilitate self-naming in the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Presented as part of the 2026 NASIG Annual Conference
- webinar from June 2026: Coming to Terms: Enacting Reparative Change in an Urban Library OPAC by Amy Mikel and Miriam Gloger, presented as part of the 2026 NASIG Annual Conference
- webinar from February 2026: Implementing Inclusive and Reparative Metadata Practices: Developing Documentation and Using Tools for Ethical Description by Drew Facklam, presented as part of the Northeastern University Humanities Center 2025–26 Digital Practice Workshop Series
- webinar from March 2026: Humans Required: Manual Labor Behind Metadata Remediation, presented by Bri McLaughlin and Callie Martindale as part of the ArchivesSpace 2026 Virtual Member Forum
- short presentation from November 2025: Censorship and Reparative Description by MLIS student Sydney Hemp
- conference presentation from April 2026: Scaling Reparative Metadata Assessment with MaRMAT, presented by Kaylee Alexander and Rachel Wittmann at the Coalition for Networked Information Spring 2026 membership meeting
- conference presentation from May 2026: Expanding the Charlotte 1911 Directory Through Reparative Metadata Creation by MLIS student Eleanor Vander Laan, presented as part of the Advanced Information Collaboratory Computational Archival Showcase
- webinar recording from October 2026: Cataloging Non-English Materials, featuring five presentations:
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- Three non-Latin script improvement projects at University of Michigan by Leigh Billings
- A crash course on non-Latin scripts in MARC bibliographic records by Laikin Dantchenko Nighan
- Cataloging Irish Language Rare Books by Sasha Goryl
- Adding non-Latin scripts to records in a MARC-8 environment by Patrick Harrington & Deqa Hassan
- Comparing Spanish authorities for better access by Jaylyn McCoy
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- webinar recording from October 2026: Classification as Outreach by Julia Bullard, exploring “how inviting community into classification work can strengthen our relationships as well as our systems”
- presentation slides from April 2026: Ideas to Action: Getting Started with Reparative Cataloging by Elyse Fox, presented as part of Library Journal’s April 2026 Jumpstart Inclusive Cataloging course
- presentation slides from May 2026: SACO Funnel Show and Tell, featuring info about the Comics and Fiction Funnel, African American Subject Funnel, ATLA SACO Funnel, Gender and Sexuality Funnel, and the Occult and Esoteric Funnels
- magazine article from June 2026: Righting the Wrongs toward Ethical Representation on Smithsonian Folkways’ Anthology of Central and South American Indian Music by Marco E. Joven Domínguez, published in the Smithsonian Folklife magazine
- blog post from July 2026: He Kupu Ora | Words That Harm, Words That Heal #1 and He Kupu Ora | Words That Harm, Words That Heal #2 by Emma Roache from the National Library of New Zealand
- blog post from September 2026: Library of Congress: “POTUS pawns” by Violet Fox on the ACRLog, describing LC’s rapid revisions to change Lake Ontario to Lake America
- zine published in October 2026: Fixing the Record : A PCC Playlist of DEI in Metadata by Violet Fox, highlighting the work of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging in revising library standards and providing guidance
- journal issue published in March 2026: Volume 214 of Catalogue and Index from the CILIP Metadata & Discovery Group in the UK. Critcat-related articles include:
- Addressing offensive classification practices: embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Royal College of Nursing in-house library classification scheme by Dawn Williams
- Policies and preservation: how we catalogue Welsh Government publications by Maria Nagle
- Considering the adoption of RBMS prejudicial works genre terms to facilitate the identification of historically prejudiced materials by Katie Birkwood
- Building and sustaining the Homosaurus, an inclusive LGBTQ+ linked data vocabulary by D St Amour, Keahi Adolpho, Marika Cifor, Michael Radmacher, B.M. Watson, Crystal Yragui, Travis Wagner
- Drinking coffee and saving the world: reflections on MDG subject analysis World Cafe in London by William Peaden
- Maintaining local classification schemes: a Bridge(rton) too far? by Helen Griffiths
In our meta metadata corner, here’s the creeps at The College Fix reporting on critical cataloging efforts in a tone that makes readers think something truly nefarious is in the works. TRENDING: Libraries attach trigger warnings to historical resource catalogs by Maria Tardiff (archive.org link so we don’t give them any ad revenue).
In our wtf corner, please explore this extraordinary website, Hubris Books & Bookstore Milkshake, offering the book Neoliberal Cataloging: The MARC Record Has a Price Now by Dr. Chip Profitwell III. See also: Radical Cataloging: Compliance Edition. I don’t understand what’s happening but it’s extremely good.
New LC headings of note: list 2505 (May 2025):
- revised LCSH: from African American History Month to Black History Month
- new LCSH: Trumpism
New LC headings of note: list 2506 (June 2025):
- new LCSH: Abortifacients
- new LCSH: Abortion applicants
- new LCSH: Homosexuality (Islamic law)
- new LCSH: Obituaries (Cocktails)
- new LCSH: Romantic love
- new LCSH: Romantic relationships
- new LCSH: Self-managed abortion
New LC headings of note: list 2506c (June 2025):
- new LCSH: Eating disorders in motion pictures
- new LCSH: Ecopoetry
- new LCSH: Environmental disasters in popular culture
- new LCSH: Generative artificial intelligence in higher education
- new LCSH: Mass mobilization
- new LCSH: Mumble rap (Music)
- new LCSH: Nepalese Sign Language
- new LCSH: Police reform
- new LCSH: Self-reference
New LC headings of note: list 2507 (July 2025):
- new LCSH: Fandom (Subculture)
- new LCSH: Progressivism (United States politics)
New LC headings of note: list 2507c (July 2025):
- new LCSH: Abortion in popular culture
- new LCSH: Antisemitism in social media
- new LCSH: Atrocities in mass media
- new LCSH: Blacklisting of teachers
- new LCSH: Gay restaurants
- new LCSH: Gender identity in popular culture
- new LCSH: Gender-nonconforming people in literature
- new LCSH: MAGA movement
- new LCSH: People of color
- new LCSH: Rust Belt States
New LC headings of note: list 2508 (August 2025):
- new LCSH: Land-based education
- new LCSH: Peasants in mass media
New LC headings of note: list 2508c (August 2025):
- new LCSH: Children of refugees
- new LCSH: Male rape in popular culture
- new LCSH: Witches in popular culture
New LC headings of note: list 2509 (September 2025):
- new LCSH: African American gay dancers
- new LCSH: Disability justice
- new LCSH: Forced assimilation
- new LCSH: Street dogs
- new LCSH: Turkification
New LC headings of note: list 2509a (September 2025): 179 headings relating to the change from Indians to Indigenous peoples [editor’s note: !!! Very exciting to see the Indigenous Headings Project implemented! More to come; see LC’s Indigenous Headings Project updates for details.]
New LC headings of note: list 2509c (September 2025):
- new LCSH: Jewish midwives
- new LCSH: Neurodivergent entertainers
- new LCSH: Neurodivergent people in the performing arts
New LC headings of note: list 2510 (October 2025):
- revised LCSH: from Birding to Bird watching
- revised broader terms: for Dresses, removed BT Women’s clothing, added BT Clothing and dress
- new LCSH: Great comet of 1811
- new LCSH: Intoxication in literature
- new LCSH: Nalbinding
New LC headings of note: list 2510c (October 2025):
- new LCSH: Change in popular culture
- new LCSH: Constructive journalism
- new LCSH: Despair in popular culture
- new LCSH: Havana syndrome
- new LCSH: Hope in popular culture
- new LCSH: Taiwanese American women
- new LCSH: Video games for people with visual disabilities
- new LCSH: Youth workers, Black
New LC headings of note: list 2511c (November 2025):
- new LCSH: Mass surveillance
New LC headings of note: list 2512 (December 2025):
- new LCSH: Artificial intelligence in art
- new LCSH: Refugees in comics
- new LCSH: Science fiction video games
New LC headings of note: list 2512a (December 2025):
- revised LCSH: from Congolese (Democratic Republic) to Congolese (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
New LC headings of note: list 2601 (January 2026):
- new LCSH: African American girls in literature
- new LCSH: Cultural racism
- new LCSH: Ecopunk fiction
- new LCSH: Forced conversion
- new LCSH: Gender-based violence in literature
- new LCSH: Mexicans in mass media
- new LCSH: Neurodiversity on television
- new LCSH: Pregnant prisoners
- new LCSH: Sex crimes in comics
- new LCSH: Sex in social media
- new LCSH: Slavery in comics
New LC headings of note: list 2602 (February 2026):
- new LCSH: African American women prisoners
- new LCSH: Climate fiction
- new LCSH: Codpieces
- new LCSH: Deaf people, Black
- new LCSH: Filipino American boys
- new LCSH: Justice in the Qurʼan
- new LCSH: Morbid curiosity
- new LCSH: Reproductive rights in literature
- new LCSH: Serbian diaspora
- new LCSH: Sex crimes in correctional institutions
- new LCSH: Sexual minorities in engineering
- new LCSH: Sexual minorities in mathematics
- new LCSH: Sexual minorities in science
- new LCSH: Sexual minorities in technology
- new LCSH: Survivors of intimate partner violence
New LC headings of note: list 2605a (May 2026): 106 new and revised headings relating to Indigenous peoples, such as:
- revised LCSH: from Cliff-dwellers to Cliff-dweller culture
- revised LCSH: from Hopi dolls to Tihus figures
- new LCSH: Plains Indian Sign Language
- revised LCSH: from Pueblo Indians to Pueblo peoples
- revised LCSH: from Zia Indians to Zia Pueblo
New LC headings of note: list 2608a (September 2026): 39 new and revised headings relating to Indigenous peoples
New LC headings of note: list 2609a: 4 headings related to the changes from Ontario, Lake (N.Y. and Ont.) to America, Lake (N.Y. and Ont.) ☹️ [editor’s note: see my blog post about how quickly this change was pushed through!]
Please let me know if there’s anything else coming up or I’ve missed anything!