Core Cataloging and Classification Research Interest Group

Using Homosaurus in a Public Library Consortium   817 KB   1 version
Uploaded - Aug 03, 2021
Using Homosaurus in a Public Library Consortium, By Rachel K. Fischer, Cooperative Computer Services. One step that public libraries can take to add diverse and inclusive metadata to catalog records is using Homosaurus for LGBTQ+ topics. Homosaurus is an international linked data vocabulary of LGBTQ+ terms. This vocabulary is intended to function as a supplement to other controlled vocabularies, such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Yet, using Homosaurus can only happen with the approval of the consortium administrators. This presentation will introduce Homosaurus and provide examples of when it is beneficial to add Homosaurus to bibliographic records. These examples will highlight books that will benefit from Homosaurus terms, as well as compare the terms that patrons search with to Homosaurus and Library of Congress Subject Heading terms, and the extent that searches are executed with these terms. Rachel Fischer will then provide an overview of the decision-making process that Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) used to approve the motion to allow Homosaurus in the CCS catalog. She will then provide an overview of the cataloging guidelines used at CCS.

Black Subject Headings in LCSH   683 KB   1 version
Uploaded - Aug 03, 2021
Black Subject Headings in LCSH: Successes and Challenges of the African American Subject Funnel Project, By Michelle Cronquist, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Staci Ross, University of Pittsburgh. The African American Subject Funnel Project was recently revitalized and is actively contributing new and improved terminology related to the African American experience to the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). Our membership includes a diverse mix of catalogers and subject specialists who work collaboratively on subject heading proposals. Historically, only a small group of catalogers have felt empowered to contribute to LCSH, but we have worked to democratize participation in the Subject Authority Cooperative Program (SACO) through training and mentorship of Funnel members. Including the perspective of subject experts, public service librarians, and staff of diverse institutions greatly improves LCSH for everyone. We will discuss our successes as well as the challenges that arise when trying to update a very old controlled vocabulary to align with our antiracist goals. LCSH generally centers whiteness and marginalizes the experiences of people of color. It is often shockingly lacking in concepts related to the Black experience, even those that are well-documented in library materials. Existing language in LCSH often needs to be updated to be more inclusive. And in some cases, existing subject heading policy actually hides materials about racism. We will discuss how the Funnel has successfully introduced new terminology that provides a broader look at Black and African American experiences, and how we have proposed changes to existing terminology which empowers contemporary users to confidently employ LCSH in their information needs.