Browsing through Bias: The Library of Congress Classification and Subject Headings for African American Studies and LGBTQIA Studies

Howard, Sara A.; Knowlton, Steven A.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/101937 Copy

Description

Title

Browsing through Bias: The Library of Congress Classification and Subject Headings for African American Studies and LGBTQIA Studies

Author(s)

• Howard, Sara A.
• Knowlton, Steven A.

Issue Date

2018

Keyword(s)

• Libraries
• Information science
• Library and information science
• Diversity
• Race
• Ethnicity
• Library of Congress Subject Headings

Abstract

The knowledge organization system prepared by the Library of Congress (LC) and widely used in academic libraries has some disadvantages for researchers in the fields of African American studies and LGBTQIA studies. The interdisciplinary nature of those fields means that browsing in stacks or shelflists organized by LC Classification requires looking in numerous locations. As well, persistent bias in the language used for subject headings, as well as the hierarchy of classification for books in these fields, continues to “other” the peoples and topics that populate these titles. This paper offers tools to help researchers have a holistic view of applicable titles across library shelves and hopes to become part of a larger conversation regarding social responsibility and diversity in the library community.

Publisher

Johns Hopkins University Press. The School of Information Sciences at Illinois. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Series/Report Name or Number

Library Trends 67 (1). Summer 2018

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/101937

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2018.0026

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2018 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

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