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

• Published in: Library trends Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 74 - 88
• Main Authors: Howard, Sara A, Knowlton, Steven A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press 01.06.2018
• Subjects: Academic libraries; African American studies; African Americans; American Studies; Bias; Black students; Black Studies; Cataloging; Childrens picture books; Classification; Conversation; Dictionaries; Gays & lesbians; Information literacy; Information Retrieval; Information Seeking; Information Services; Interdisciplinary aspects; Keywords; Knowledge organization; Librarians; Libraries; Library associations; Library collections; Library of Congress Classification; Library of Congress Subject Headings; Library Personnel; Library resources; Library Services; Organic Chemistry; Plane Geometry; Researchers; Scholars; Search Strategies; Social sciences; Studies; Subject heading schemes; Teaching Methods; Titles; New York; United States > US; Nashville Tennessee
• ISSN: 0024-2594; 1559-0682; 1559-0682
• DOI: 10.1353/lib.2018.0026

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.1