A compilation of statements from libraries and archives on harmful or offensive language in description and bias in cataloging. This list includes statements about problematic language in both description and resources themselves, as statements about resources will frequently discuss the description of those resources.
last updated February 2024
- Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). [Sensitivity message appears as a pop-up with information about language used in resources]
- Australian War Memorial. Disclaimer [along with pop-up with information about language used in resources]
- Brandeis University Library. Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Collections, Cataloging and Description
- Brown University Library. Terminology [statement on African American history description]
- Carleton College. Problematic Language in Omni: Advisory Statement
- Chicago History Museum. Critical Cataloging
- Columbia University Libraries. Statement on Inclusive Editing of Harmful Language in Library and Archival Descriptions
- DPLA (Digital Public Library of America). DPLA’s Statement on Potentially Harmful Content
- DPLA Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection. Harmful Language Statement
- Drexel University Libraries. Statement on Harmful Content in Archival Collections
- Duke University Libraries. Statement on Inclusive Description
- Duke University Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Guiding Principles for Description
- Emory University Libraries. Harmful Language in the Library Catalog
- Emory University Rose Library. Harmful Language in Finding Aids
- Folger Shakespeare Library. Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Collection Description
- George Washington University Special Collections Research Center. SCRC Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Our Descriptive Practices
- Getty Research Center. Anti-Racist Statement
- Gustavus Adolphus College Library. Harmful Language Statement
- The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Statement on Harmful Content in the Collection and Its Description
- Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium (LMxAC). LMxAC Statement on Harmful Language in the Library Catalog
- Library and Archives Canada. Historical Language Advisory
- Michigan State University Libraries. Harmful Language in Resource Descriptions
- Mid-Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive. Statement on Harmful Language and Content in Records
- Morgan Library & Museum. Statement on Critical Cataloging
- National Library of Australia. [Statement on the bottom of each catalog page]
- National Archives. NARA’s Statement on Potentially Harmful Content
- National Library of Australia. Trove [database aggregator]. [Pop up statement with option to “show cultural advice” on materials considered culturally sensitive]
- Newberry Library. Statement on Potentially Offensive Materials and Descriptions
- Northwestern University Libraries. Statement on Bias in Library Description
- Pennsylvania State University Libraries. Statement on More Inclusive Archival Collections
- Philadelphia Museum of Art. Ethical Cataloging Statement
- Presbyterian Historical Society. Digital Collection Offensive Language Policy
- Princeton University Library Archives. Statement on Language in Archival Description
- Princeton University Library. Statement on Language in Description
- P.T. Barnum Museum. A Note on Language and Disabilities
- Schaumburg Township District Library. Harmful Content Statement
- 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
- Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Department. Sensitive Content Statement
- Tufts University. Digital Collections & Libraries. DCA Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Archival Description [based on the Temple statement]
- University of California Los Angeles Clark Memorial Library. Statement on Cataloging
- University of California Los Angeles Library Special Collections. Toward Ethical and Inclusive Descriptive Practices in UCLA Library Special Collections
- University of Central Oklahoma Library. Inclusive Metadata Statement
- University of Colorado Boulder Libraries. Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Archival Description
- University of Iowa Libraries. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Library’s Online Catalog [blog post]
- University of Maryland Libraries. Statement of Harmful Language in Catalog Records
- University of Miami Libraries. Harmful Content Statement
- University of Michigan Library. Remediation of Harmful Language in Library Metadata
- University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Content
- University of Minnesota Libraries. Historical Language in Archival Description
- University of Missouri Kansas City Libraries. Harmful Content in Library and Archives Collections Policy
- University of Nebraska Omaha Libraries. Statement on Harmful Material
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries. Conscious Editing Initiative
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro Special Collections and University Archives. Offensive Materials and Language Statement
- University of Oregon Libraries. Statement Regarding Objectionable Content and Statement on Racism and Systemic Inequalities
- University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Statement of Harmful Language in Penn Libraries Catalogs
- University of Regina Dr. John Archer Library and Archives. Inclusive Language
- University of South Carolina Libraries Special Collections. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement
- University of Southern California Libraries. Statement on Inclusive Description
- University of Texas at Austin. Statement on Harmful Language and Content
- University of Texas at El Paso. Statements on Archival Content and Description
- University of Utah Library. Statement on Harmful Language in Special Collections and the Digital Library
- University of Virginia Libraries. Statement on Harmful Language in Cataloging and Archival Description
- University of Waterloo Library Special Collections & Archives. Language in Archival Descriptions
- University of Washington Libraries. Statement on Harmful Language in Catalog Records and Archival Finding Aids
- University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries. Digitized Archival and Special Collections: Potentially Offensive Materials
- U.S. Government Publishing Office. GPO Statement on Outdated and Offensive Language
- Wake Forest University Special Collections & Archives. Insensitive and Discriminatory Content in Wake Forest’s Howler Yearbooks and Other Records
- Washington State University Libraries. Acknowledgment of Bias and Harmful Content
- Western University Libraries. Problematic Language in the Library Catalogue
- Yale University Library. Statement on Harmful Language in Archival Description
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