Ethnic Groups and Library of Congress Subject Headings Jeffre INTRODUCTION tricks for success in doing African studies research3. One of the challenges of studying ethnic Several sections of the article touch on subject head- groups is the abundant and changing terminology as- ings related to African studies. sociated with these groups and their study. This arti- Sanford Berman authored at least two works cle explains the Library of Congress subject headings about Library of Congress subject headings for ethnic (LCSH) that relate to ethnic groups, ethnology, and groups. His contentious 1991 article Things are ethnic diversity and how they are used in libraries. A seldom what they seem: Finding multicultural materi- database that uses a controlled vocabulary, such as als in library catalogs4 describes what he viewed as LCSH, can be invaluable when doing research on LCSH shortcomings at that time that related to ethnic ethnic groups, because it can help searchers conduct groups and to other aspects of multiculturalism. searches that are precise and comprehensive. Interestingly, this article notes an inequity in the use Keyword searching is an ineffective way of of the term God in subject headings. When referring conducting ethnic studies research because so many to the Christian God, there was no qualification by individual ethnic groups are known by so many differ- religion after the term. but for other religions there ent names. Take the Mohawk lndians for example. was. For example the heading God-History of They are also known as the Canienga Indians, the doctrines is a heading for Christian works, and God Caughnawaga Indians, the Kaniakehaka Indians, (Judaism)-History of doctrines for works on Juda- the Mohaqu Indians, the Saint Regis Indians, and ism. The default was for Christianity. Recently the by other names. Because different sources from Library of Congress changed this policy and now re- different times and places use different terms, a quires the gloss "(Christianity)" after "God" for works keyword search on only a single term for the Mohawk on Christian theology. Berman's article outlining Indians will never generate a comprehensive search these different practices and calling for change was result. But by using a controlled vocabulary, such as published in 1992. So change does occur in LCSH, LCSH, a single term can be assigned to bibliographic it just takes time. Although this is not a discussion of records for works about the Mohawk Indians, regard- religious headings in this article, this example from less of what they are called in each work. In this way, Berman is cited to demonstrate the pace of change in a search will pull up all resources about the Indians, LCSH. A much earlier (1978) article by Bermans(not regardless of what the resource calls them. viewed) also describes perceived shortcomings for After explaining and giving examples of subject headings for ethnic groups in LCSH. the Library of Congress subject headings for ethnic groups. this article will examine Prospector <http:ll BACKGROUND prospector.coalliance.org1~holdings for selected eth- Ethnic politics has always been a delicate nicity-related subject headings. This examination will issue in the United States, and subject headings be quantitative and will compare Prospector holdings related to ethnic groups and ethnology have been no to holdings in two other selected databases. different. Just as the terms we have used over the years to refer to specific ethnic groups have changed, PREVIOUS STUDIES so have the subject headings that refer to the groups. There is not much written in the literature, At times these changes have been controversial, but especially recently, about LCSH and ethnic groups. for the most part the changes in the popular usage A 1993 article by Lois Olsrud entitled Difficulties for ethnic groups have been reflected in LCSH. This of Subject Access for Information about Minority study will avoid the political aspects of subject head- Groups1provides a good background on the Library ings relating to ethnic groups and instead will focus of Congress's treatment of minority groups. The on explaining how to use the subject headings as a treatment is broad and includes information about tool for accessing information about those groups. more than just ethnic groups, such as women, and A database such as an online catalog that gays and lesbians. A more polemical article by Karen correctly uses and applies the Library of Congress A. Nuckolls describes the "Library of Congress sub- subject headings is still the best and most efficient ject heading sh~rtfall"~.Finally, an excellent and long system for organizing and quickly finding information article by Gretchen Walsh describes the pitfalls and about ethnology and ethnic groups. Subject V. 32, No. 4 2006 Colorado Libraries headings are recorded in authority records that are ently, and this will be explained below in the section created and distributed to libraries and other agen- on Indians. Additionally, there are numerous sub- cies by the Library of Congress. These authority ject headings that relate to ethic groups in general. records have several functions. One is to record These will be discussed in the section below with the authorized heading for a person, place, thing, the heading, "Other Ethnology and Diversity Related and such; including ethnic groups. Another function Subject Headings." is to list variant forms-or synonyms-of the main heading. These variant forms are also called cross AFRICAN-AMERICANS references, and they refer a researcher from a vari- Among the controversies relating to sub- ant form of the name of something to the authorized ject headings for ethnic groups that have occurred form. over the years, perhaps none has been greater For example, on the authority record for Bur- than that regarding the choice of heading for African aku people, the term Buraku people is listed on the Americans. Throughout most of the 20th century, authority record as the authorized form of the name. the heading was Negroes. This changed in the There are several cross references on the record, late 1970s when the form was changed to Blacks. including Aeta (Japanese people) and Tokushu Later, in the 1990s, the heading was changed again. burakumin (Japanese people). The heading se- this time to Afro-Americans. A few years ago the lected as the main heading is generally the one that heading was changed again, so the current head- is most commonly used in reference sources. Still ing is African Americans. Libraries are necessarily the selection of the main heading, and consequently conservative about changing subject headings not so the selection of what the cross references will be, can much because they are conservative institutions, but seem arbitrary. But the selection of a single autho- because of the labor involved in changing headings. rized form is essential for in a controlled vocabulary In the days of card catalogs, it was cumbersome to two terms cannot represent the same concept. change headings because library staff had to change A searchable database of authority records, the actual catalog cards. Now with automated called the Library of Congress Authorities, is freely systems, the task has become somewhat easier, but available on the Internet at http://authorities.loc. manual changing of bibliographic records is still often gov. In this database every country has a heading necessary when subject headings are changed. that follows the pattern, Ethnology-[place]. Under Authority records, in addition to listing the this heading for each country one can find listed as main heading and the cross references, occasionally narrower terms the ethnic groups that belong to that also provide what are called scope notes that guide country or region. For example to search Ethnol- librarians and library users in the correct assignment ogy-Poland the authority record is retrieved, plus and usage of particular subject headings. For ex- links to the authority records for the ethnic groups of ample, here is the scope note on the authority record that country, like this: for African Americans: Here are entered works on citizens of the Ethnology-Poland United States of black African descent. Narrower Term: Jacnwiez Works on blacks who temporarily reside in Narrower Term: Kashubes the United States, such as aliens, students Narrower Term: Kurpie from abroad, etc., are entered under Blacks- Narrower Term: Lasowiacy -United States. Works on blacks outside Narrower Term: Lemky the United States are entered under Blacks- Narrower Term: Polanie (Slavic people) -[place]. Narrower Term: Poles An additional scope note also advises us- Narrower Term: Silesians ers to search for subject headings that begin with African American. There are numerous subject Sometimes an ethnic group will span an area headings that follow this pattern, for example African that is larger than a single country. Those ethnic American nurses. This practice of using the adjec- groups will not be found when searching Ethnology- tival form of an ethnic group's name followed by a [place] where the place is a country. To find some noun is the rule in LCSH for lndians and for American ethnic groups using this method, it is necessary to ethnic groups. Additional examples following this search for regions or continents as the place. An pattern are: example is the Goths. The record for this group can African American art be found by searching EthnologpEurope. African American Methodists Note that this method of finding the ethnic African American preaching groups of a place does not work for lndians of the African American radio stations Americas; headings for lndians are organized differ- 38 Colorado Libraries V. 32, No. 4 2006 It is not true that the subject heading African also to Latino Americans, Latinos in the United Americans has completely replaced the heading States, Hispanics in the Unites States, Spanish- Blacks.