Hi all! Sorry for the repeat, but I didn't realize that I needed to use a different address for this post to be public, so I'm doing it again.
At its meeting in January, the Subject Analysis Committee decided to form a working group to explore alternatives for instances of Library of Congress Subject Headings containing the word "question."
https://connect.ala.org/core/discussion/finalizing-the-question-review-working-group-1#bmf5709ee1-2556-468b-81ba-57806e8ed75cCharge: The Question Review Working Group will identify and evaluate LCSH terms containing the term "Question" to identify potentially problematic terms. They will explore and submit proposed alternatives as appropriate.
LCSH containing the word "question" often refer to boundary disputes or nationalist political movements and objectives. Others refer to a (sometimes unspecified) other type of question. Some of these headings could be considered problematic, and most are likely vague and unclear to library users. In some cases, the term including "question" is actually a commonly used phrase for that concept, but in others there is no clear warrant beyond the existence of other such headings.
The working group will consider proposing both changes to individual headings and broader changes to groups of similar headings. LCSH that the working group will review include (but are not necessarily limited to):
Adriatic question
Åland question
Alsace-Lorraine question
Armenian question
Belize question
Cuban question
Currency question
Eastern question
Eastern question (Balkan)
Eastern question (Central Asia)
Eastern question (Far East)
German reunification question (1949-1990)
Grisbåda question
Irish question
Irish unification question
Korean reunification question (1945- )
Kurdish question
Language question in the church
Macedonian question
Oregon question
Palestine question (1948-)
Palestine question (To 1948)
Polish question
Roman question
Samoan question
Silver question
Southern question (Yemen)
Straits question
Tacna-Arica question
Ukrainian question
Vietnamese reunification question (1954-1976)
The working group will also look at relevant parts of the Library of Congress Classification. For example, the notorious "Jewish question" was eliminated as a subject heading long ago, but it still exists as a caption in the LC classification schedules (for DS141 and KK928).
Are you interested in helping to explore the "question" question? Do you have experience in applying any of the subject headings or class numbers in question, or expertise in one or more of the subject areas affected? If so, please consider joining the working group-- contact the co-chairs to express interest by April 19th. (Also feel free to contact us with any questions.) You do not need to be a cataloger, or a member of SAC or ALA to participate.
Allison Bailund (San Diego State University,
abailund@sdsu.edu)
Tina Gross (University of Minnesota,
aboutness@gmail.com)