DOCSLIB.ORG

Critical Views of LCSH--The Library of Congress Subject Headings; A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Critical Views of LCSH--The Library of Congress Subject Headings; A ' DOCUMENT RESUME ED 208 900 IR 909 867 AUTHOR Cochrane, Pauline A.': Kirtland', Iladika - TITLE 'Critical Views of LCSH--the Library of Congress Subject Headings: A Bibliographic and Bibliometric Essay. and An Analysis of Vocabularf.Control in the Library of"Congress List of Subject Headings *(LCSH). 4 INSTITUTION tRIC Clearinghouse on Information,Resources, . Syracuse, N.Y., SPONS AGENCY National Inst.'bf Education (ED) , Washington, PUB DATE 91 CONTRACT 400-77-0015 "INOTE 112p. AVAILABLE FROM Syracuse University Printing SerOices, 125 College , Place, Syracdse, NY 13210 AIR-53; $12.00). 4 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage.. DESCRIPTORS Annotated Bibliographies; *Indexes; Indexing; *Informati e r elal; *Library Catalogs4.*Subject Index T ms IDENTIFIERS Bibl etrics;*Libraof Congress Subject Hea ings ABSTRACT4 A comprehensive guide to the literature published ,40 between World War -II and 1979 which critically evaluates the Library of Congtess'list of Subject Headings (LCSH) , this bibliography ,has been prepared fOr information personnel involved with subject authority files,, thesauri, or vocabulary control. A brief bibliometric analysis of the literature precedes the bilallography, Which contains sections devoted to general principles for the analysis of subject headings, rationalisations of'the LCSH system, and criticism of LCSH with reSpeqtto specificity-ofinaexing . language, consistency` of syndetitructure,OL§ the'formation of, headings, spareness of he 'dings,, Wease of use. Each section of the bibliography is accompanied by a descriptive summary of the items, contained therein. Also included fs in essai, on,vocabulity control in LCSH in which the introductions to the, first eight editions of LCSH 2 are Compared. A bibliography, footnq es,two tables (a catalog of -N.iCSm weaknesses and a.chronological-and topical. overview of literature on LCSH)_, and three appendices (d#e MPauthor index) are piovided. Footnotes, a table comparing the introductions over the years, and reproductions of the introductifts to editions 2-3 ofthe A List of Subject Headings_and editions 2-7 and'9 of LCSHacto4any he essay. (3L), 0*******************+*******************#******************************. * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are'tile best that can be made * * fro: the original document. * *************4!**4****************************4*********************** 4 4 ) * Nit ;. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Itif ORMATION CENTER (ERIC, 75 This document has been reproduced as recervedi from the person or organuatmi CD onginatwv rt Minor changes have been made to improve CN reproduction Q5 points of view or oprnions stated4n thrs (loci) Priem do not necessarily represent officet NIE CD Position or policy NJ AN ERIC INFOP.MATION ANALYSISPRODUCT 1:=3 vo In Two Parts I. Critical Views of LCSHthe Library of CongressSubject Head- ings; a.. Bibliographic and Bibliometric Essay. II. An Analysis of Vocabulary Control inlite Library of Congress List of Subject Headings (LCSH). Qa by. Pauline A. Cochrane with special assistance from Monika Kirtland ERICClearinghouse on Information Resourc'es Syracuse University 1981. a _dr Jr N 1, \41 - Pauline. ochrane is a Professor in the School of Inforenation Studies at Syracuse iniversity and Assdciate Dit'ector of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information' Re, sources. The fbcus of her Workas ,Visiting Scholar for 1981 with the Research Department of OCLC, Inc., is user oriented public access online catalogs. Monika Kirtland is currently working_ in the InArmation Systems Division of Texaco Oil Company at the corporate headquarters in Harrison, New Work. ti t This publication was prepared with funding fionio'the National Institute of Education, U.S. Department, o`f Edul cation under contract noNIE-400-77-00154 The opinions expressed in report do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of NIE or ED. 4 16, I. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 1. Introduction .... 1.1 Objectives of Bibliography 1.2 Airangement of Bibliography 1. General Bibliothetric Remarks 2. General Principles for Headings 8 2.1 LCSH: Genert-,Rationzation 9 2.2 LCSH: General -g emiewsand Revisions la 2.3 LCSH: GeneralCriticism 3. J.ICSH:, LanguageLGeneral 14 3.1'LCSH: ,LanguageSpecificity 14 4. LCSH: Syndetic Structure .4, 17 5. LCSH: Subdivision General 18 5.1 LCSH: SubdivisionPeriod ; .18 5.2 LCSH:SubdivisionGeographical 18 6.1 LCSH: Form ofHeadingsDiredt vs. Indirect 20 6.2 LCSH: Form of HeadingsVariantSpelling 26 6.3 LCSH: Form offileadingsR/anization 20 7. LCSH: 'Currency andPrijudic4s 21- 8. LCSH: Sparseness of Headings .. 23 9. LCSH: 'Ease of Use 25 Conclusion 26 ' Footnotes Appendix I: Author Index 28 Appendix II: Publishers of Information and CritiCism on LCSH 32 . Appendix I11:Subject Analysis: Summary Report of 'the Raciern SexismSe i sm in Subject Analysis Subcomfnittee-to the. RTSWCCS Subject Analysis ComMittee 34 Selective Catalog of 20 LCSH Weaknesses or,Defectswith' Suggested Improvements, 1898-1979 2 Table 2. Chronological and TopicalAnalysis pftiterature oneSH (post World War II) 6 Q. -1- INTRODUCTION 1.1.Objectives of-Biblioy_ )4 Prepared for the student of subject analysisand information personnel involved in subject authority files, thesauri,and vocabulary control, this bibliogaphy'confines itself to the literature which criticallyevaluates the .Library of 'Congress List of Subject Headings (LCSH). However, it has some usebeyond that system, as it includes studies of library catalogs with those subjectheadings.The literature search was Ihriited to--a-period from post-World War 'Ito 1979, so thereferences found cover a span of more than 35 yers.Journals, books, and conference papers areincluded. Every attempt has been made to be comprehensive,but omissions are a definite possibility.The authors welcome suggestions for additions tothe bibliography, and contributions wiftiCh came from W. Mischo and K.Markey while want to acknowledge NIP the manuscript was in final preparation. AlthoUgh the Library of Congress_ adopted its firstdictionary catalog in 1898, it was the ALA List of Headings for Use in Dictionary Catalogs, publishedin-' 1895, which was usedUsed as the basis .fordeveloping the Library of Congress subject headings list. First published in 1914, ,this list wasconceived without any structure or code and hats grown along with thecollection of the national library.Although Cutter's Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue haveclearly guided its development, these rules have never been officially acknowledgedas guiding principles.!* But, as Angell points out, the officers at the time of thecreation of LCSH,... ...while in accordance in rejecting theclassified or alphabetko-classed catalog in favor of tie dictionary catalog,...wereunwilling to contemplate, the dispersion of headings that could followfrom full adherence to Cutter's rule of specific entry, at least -in itsapplication to compound headings. They Rreferred to combine efelents of adictionarycatalog and a classified arrangement.The fact that the ,Library of Congresssubject headings began as a mixed system opened the door toinconsistent decisions as the cataloggrew.2 There does not, and never did, existia"laboratory condition" in the development of LCSH, because this "would demandstringent requirements to conduct experiments and their analysis."3 tCriticismof LCSH has increased over the years,' and has become even sharper since the publicationof the subject catalog and domputerized'informa- tion retrieval have exposed its weaknesses on agrander scale.In Table 1 we have developed a catalog of LCSH weaknesseswhich authors have pointed out and occasional suggestions for improvement. A few words should be said about thevalidity Of evaluations straddling almost 40 years. The Library of Congresshas incorporated many changes inheadings during this time, although- ithas never undertaken basic alterationsIn structure, vocabulary *S4Footnotes Section at end of bibliography. Table 1 Selective Catalog of 20 LCSH Weliknesses or Defects with Suggested Improvements, 1898-1979 LCSH Weaknesses or Defects Suggested Improvements Critic and/or Suggestor/Date (1) No code for application Attempt at "code" of practice Cuter -1898; Haykin-1951; L.C.-1.975; Chan-1978 (2) No rules for grammaticid forms 15 rules Daily-1957 ,(3} Inconsistent form of headings Noun rule Prevost-1946; Reich-1949 (4) No structure specified Leave as mixed system L.C. Staff-1890s (5) Restructuring needed None Angell-1971 46). "1940 standards of 'definition" not None Frarey-1954 maintained (7) Need for more scope notes Provide* more scope notes Kanwischer-1975 (8) Need connective references for Make more references Coates-1960; Kanwischer-1975 compound subjects (9) Lack of references from geographic Create references from geographic , Hardy-1952 subdivisions to subject headings subdivisions and variant forms . (10) Subject-place ordering fs confusing, Use direct subdivision for all Wellisch-1978 topical headings (11) Loose, inconsistent syndetic-structure .(a)Chain-indexing of LC class and (a)Immroth-1970 -Thesaurus as one vocabulary system ,Adopt classification principles (WI., Richmond-1959; Mosteckey- for s.a. references (3 1956; Wepsiec-1978 (continued) Selective Catalog of 20 LCSH Weaknesses or Defects with Suggested Improvements, 1898-1979 (continued) LCSHrWealmesses or Defects Suggested Improvements Critic and/or Suggestor/Date ..(12), Lack of currency Discontinue subject added entries McClure-1976 and replace with machine produced subject catalogs -U3)_Prejudicial
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Carlsbad Public Library Collection Development Policy July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2022
    Carlsbad Public Library Collection Development Policy July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2022 Mission Statement The mission of the Carlsbad Public Library is to meet the evolving educational, cultural, and recreational needs of the public by providing modern library resources and services. The library strives to acquire materials, plan programs, and provide services that reflect an understanding and consideration of the community served, with concern given for all ages, backgrounds, interests, abilities, and levels of education. Contents: A. Purpose of Policy B. Collection Scope C. Collection Description D. Funding E. Collection Goals F. Collection Decisions and Assessment G. Material Selection Criteria H. Intellectual Freedom I. Special Collections J. Donated Materials K. Material Concerns, Complaints, and Challenges L. Policy Adoption and Revision M. Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials, Response to Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials, and Reconsideration Guidelines A. Purpose of Policy This collection development policy is intended to provide guidance for the selection and evaluation of materials which meet and anticipate the needs of the Carlsbad Public Library’s service community. It directly relates to the library's mission statement, and defines the scope and standards of the library’s various material collections. It will also serve to: 1. Govern the work of librarians responsible for collection development and maintenance. 2. Inform library users, government officials, prospective funders, other libraries, and the public about the library’s collection development practices and of its plans for collection development in the future. 3. Guide the solicitation of grants, gifts, and endowments for the acquisition of library resources. 4. Affirm the Carlsbad Library’s commitment to intellectual freedom.
    [Show full text]
  • Intellectual Freedom Inside This Issue to Intellectual Freedom, with Love
    The Washington Library Association Journal November 2014 Volume 30 | Number 3 Alki Intellectual Freedom Inside this Issue To Intellectual Freedom, With Love.............................................................5 An Interview with an Intellectual Freedom Training Whiz: King County Library System’s Catherine Lord .................................................................6 The Things We Lose: Government Documents in the Digital Age ..........16 Up Front Cultivating Interest in Interest Groups by Nancy Ledeboer Nancy Ledeboer Recently I was at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon where the new president declared “this is not your father’s chamber.” My want to get involved. However, they have not found an Interest initial thought was that she stole my line. How often have I said Group that represents their “community of interest.” We also we’re “not your mother’s library” or even “not your grandmoth- heard from members that in some cases the Interest Group they er’s library?” I still find people who are surprised to hear about joined is not very active. I’ve talked to library staff that only join the programs, online resources and learning opportunities that WLA to get reduced registration to conferences. So how do we the library offers. create a structure that welcomes and engages library staff from all types of libraries serving in a wide variety of roles? …how do we create a In the past Interest Groups have been the first place where members connected and interacted with other members who structure“ that welcomes and shared a common interest. A few Interest Groups have faded engages library staff from all away and new ones representing broader areas of interest such as leadership or adult programming have taken their place.
    [Show full text]
  • Intellectual Freedom Policy August 2011
    Intellectual Freedom Policy August 2011 Intellectual Freedom The Public Library’s unique characteristics are in its generalness. The Public Library considers the entire spectrum of knowledge to be its purview, and the entire spectrum of the community as its user population. The Public Library shall act as a principal information source for every citizen of Ellis County. Its primary responsibility will be to identify, select, organize, retrieve, disseminate, and provide total access to the record of human thought. The Public Library will be particularly sensitive to change as it affects information needs. It will be responsible for linking community information resources to other resources in the state, the nation, and the world. A child’s library card presents opportunities for many fascinating educational and entertaining experiences, and parents should encourage their children to explore them. The Public Library provides a wide variety of materials representing many points of view on topics of interest to the community. All libraries contain some printed and audiovisual materials which some parents find inappropriate for their children. It is the responsibility of the parent, and not the library, to decide to which ideas and materials a child should be exposed. (Reprinted with permission of the Arapahoe Library District and the Jefferson County Public Library, Colorado) As Public Library staff members, we should never comment on the materials we check out. It is a violation of the patron’s privacy and may intimidate other patrons from checking out materials. This applies even if the comment is positive. The American Library Association Bill of Rights and the American Library Association Freedom to Read Policy are included in the Hays Public Library’s Intellectual Freedom Policy and are included in the Hays Public Library Policy Manual.
    [Show full text]
  • Books Challenged Or Banned 2014-2015
    BOOKS CHALLENGED OR BANNED 2014-2015 Robert P. Doyle 2 BOOKS CHALLENGED CHALLENGED OR OR BANNED, BANNED, 2O 14–22O14–2O15O15 Books Challenged or Banned in 2014-2015 Banned Books Week 2015 is celebrating more than thirty years of the freedom to read. This freedom, not only to choose what we read, but also to select from a full array of possibilities, is firmly rooted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Although we enjoy an increasing quantity and availability of information and reading material, we must remain vigilant to ensure that access to this material is preserved. Would-be censors who continue to threaten the freedom to read come from all quarters and all political persuasions. Even if well intentioned, censors try to limit the freedom of others to choose what they read, see, or hear. Sex, profanity, and racism remain the when the person is a lone protester, the primary categories of objections, and censorship attempt is real. Someone has most occur in schools and school tried to restrict another person’s ability libraries. Frequently, challenges are to choose. Challenges are as important motivated by the desire to protect to document as actual bannings, in children. While the intent is commend- which a book is removed from the able, this method of protection contains shelves of a library or bookstore or from hazards far greater than exposure to the the curriculum at a school. Attempts to “evil” against which it is leveled. U.S. censor can lead to voluntary restriction Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, of expression by those who seek to avoid in Texas v.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 68, No. 2 Summer 2004 Page 27 Vol
    Volume 68, No. 2 Summer 2004 Page 27 Vol. 68, No. 2, Summer 2004 Mississippi Libraries Mississippi Library Association P.O. Box 20448 • Jackson, MS 39289-1448 PHONE: 601-352-3917 • FAX: 601-352-4240 Office Hours: 9-1 M, T, Th, F PRESIDENT’S PAGE Email: [email protected] Executive Secretary: Mary Julia Anderson MLA Web site: http://www.misslib.org Web Master: Molly Signs <[email protected]> 30TH ANNUAL Fund the Improving President Juanita Flanders, District Dean of Learning Resources NATIONAL LIBRARY Literacy Through School Hinds Community College • McLendon Library P.O. Box 1100 • Raymond, MS 39154-1100 LEGISLATIVE DAY! Libraries at $100 mil- 601-857-3380 (w) • 601-857-3293 (f) Nine Mississippians lion. As part of the No [email protected] Vice-President joined with over five hundred Child Left Behind Act, Susan Cassagne, Director librarians, library trustees, Congress authorized the Natchez Adams Wilkinson Library Service 220 South Commerce St. board members, and other improving Literacy Through Natchez, MS 39120 library friends to talk with School Libraries program to 601-445-8862 (w) • 601-446-7795 (f) [email protected] their senators and representa- provide schools with reading Secretary tives about issues of concern materials and technology to Allison P. Mays, Acquisitions/Serials Librarian Millsaps-Wilson Library • 1701 N. State St. to the library community. increase literacy skills. How- Jackson, MS 39210-0001 This was the largest number ever the President’s FY2005 601-974-1083 (w) • 601-974-1082 [email protected] of attendees ever to attend the Juanita Flanders budget freezes funding for Treasurer event, held each year in May.
    [Show full text]
  • Intellectual Freedom and the Bible College Library
    Scholars Crossing Faculty Publications and Presentations Jerry Falwell Library 7-2004 Intellectual Freedom and the Bible College Library Gregory A. Smith Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lib_fac_pubs Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Smith, Gregory A., "Intellectual Freedom and the Bible College Library" (2004). Faculty Publications and Presentations. 8. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lib_fac_pubs/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Jerry Falwell Library at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Intellectual Freedom and the Bible College Library Gregory A. Smith This is an electronic version of an article published in Christian Higher Education 3 (July 2004): 241-59. Christian Higher Education is available online at: http://journalsonline.tandf.co.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&id=doi:10.1080/ 15363750490433269 Intellectual Freedom 1 Running head: INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AND THE BIBLE COLLEGE LIBRARY Intellectual Freedom and the Bible College Library Gregory A. Smith Liberty University Author Note Gregory A. Smith is Dean of the Integrated Learning Resource Center at Liberty University. From 1995 to 2003 he served as Library Director at Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. The author is grateful to Dennis Ingolfsland for critiquing this manuscript prior to publication. Any defects that remain are the responsibility of the author. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Gregory A. Smith, Integrated Learning Resource Center, Liberty University, 1971 University Blvd, Lynchburg VA 24502.
    [Show full text]
  • Disciplining Sexual Deviance at the Library of Congress Melissa A
    FOR SEXUAL PERVERSION See PARAPHILIAS: Disciplining Sexual Deviance at the Library of Congress Melissa A. Adler A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Library and Information Studies) at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON 2012 Date of final oral examination: 5/8/2012 The dissertation is approved by the following members of the Final Oral Committee: Christine Pawley, Professor, Library and Information Studies Greg Downey, Professor, Library and Information Studies Louise Robbins, Professor, Library and Information Studies A. Finn Enke, Associate Professor, History, Gender and Women’s Studies Helen Kinsella, Assistant Professor, Political Science i Table of Contents Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................iii List of Figures........................................................................................................................vii Crash Course on Cataloging Subjects......................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Setting the Terms: Methodology and Sources.......................................................5 Purpose of the Dissertation..........................................................................................6 Subject access: LC Subject Headings and LC Classification....................................13 Social theories............................................................................................................16
    [Show full text]
  • 62.4 01.Latham 715-720.Indd
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and... Introduction: A Patient Labor Joyce M. Latham and Barbara M. Jones I do not know whether it must be said that the critical task still en- tails faith in the Enlightenment: I continue to think that this task requires work on our limits, that is, a patient labor giving form to our impatience for liberty. —Michel Foucault, 1984 This investigation of the West Bend (Wisconsin) Community Memorial Li- brary controversy of 2009 is, most immediately, a case study of a library confronting organized challenge to its execution of its role in American culture. State and local statutes ensure the funding of public libraries with tax dollars and establish independent boards of trustees charged with oversight for the expenditure of such funds. In Wisconsin, Legislative Doc- ument Chapter 43 grants public library boards “exclusive charge, control and custody of all lands, buildings, money or other property” as well as au- thority to appoint the administration of the library. The library board may also cooperate with other agencies, including specifically the University of Wisconsin system, “to foster and encourage . the wider use of books and other resource, reference and educational materials upon scientific, his- torical, economic, literary, educational, and other useful subjects” (Chap- ter 43.58). These rights and privileges also establish the responsibility of the public library for intellectual and cultural enrichment of the service community, without any delineation of restrictions on that responsibility, ensuring that any boundaries of content, service populations, or types of materials are determined by the library itself.
    [Show full text]
  • Racism and “Freedom of Speech”: Framing the Issues
    Al Kagan Editorial Racism and “Freedom of Speech”: Framing the Issues The production and distribution of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom’s 1977 film was one of the most controversial and divisive issues in ALA history. The Speaker: A Film About Freedom was introduced at the 1977 ALA Annual Conference in Detroit, and was revived on June 30th, 2014, for a program in Las Vegas titled, “Speaking about ‘The Speaker.’” ALA Council’s Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) developed the program, which was cosponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), the Library History Round Table and the ALA Black Caucus (BCALA). 4 Some background is necessary for context. This professionally made 42- minute color film was sponsored by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom in 1977 and made in virtual secret without oversight by the ALA Executive Board or even most of the Intellectual Freedom Committee members. In fact, requests for information about the film, for copies of the script from members of these two bodies were repeatedly rebuffed. Judith Krug (now deceased), Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, was in charge with coordination from a two- member IFC subcommittee and ALA Executive Director Robert Wedgeworth. The film was made by a New York production company, and was envisioned by Krug as an exploration of the First Amendment in contemporary society. The film’s plot is a fictionalized account of real events. A high school invites a famous scientist (based on physicist and Nobel prizewinner William Shockley) to speak on his research claiming that black people are genetically Al Kagan is Professor of Library Administration and African Studies Bibliographer Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
    [Show full text]
  • Self-Censorship in Iowa Elementary Libraries
    University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Graduate Research Papers Student Work 2010 Self-censorship in Iowa elementary libraries Lacey Fliger University of Northern Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©2010 Lacey Fliger Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp Part of the Education Commons, and the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Fliger, Lacey, "Self-censorship in Iowa elementary libraries" (2010). Graduate Research Papers. 28. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/28 This Open Access Graduate Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Research Papers by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Self-censorship in Iowa elementary libraries Find Additional Related Research in UNI ScholarWorks To find elatedr research in UNI ScholarWorks, go to the collection of School Library Studies Graduate Research Papers written by students in the Division of School Library Studies, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, at the University of Northern Iowa. Abstract The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether or not Iowa elementary school children had access to fiction and non-fiction titles containing potentially controversial topics. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether Iowa elementary schools with professionally certified school librarians hold a greater number of recommended books from ALA Notable Children's Books list from 2002-2009 in which reviews do not indicate potentially controversial topics as compared with those ALA Notable Children's Books from the same years in which reviews indicate potentially controversial topics.
    [Show full text]
  • Expand, Humanize, Simplify : an Interview with Sandy Berman Tina Gross St
    St. Cloud State University theRepository at St. Cloud State Library Faculty Publications Library Services 2017 Expand, Humanize, Simplify : An Interview with Sandy Berman Tina Gross St. Cloud State University, [email protected] Sandy Berman retired, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/lrs_facpubs Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Sanford Berman & Tina Gross (2017) Expand, Humanize, Simplify: An Interview with Sandy Berman, Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 55:6, 347-360, DOI: 10.1080/01639374.2017.1327468 This Interview is brought to you for free and open access by the Library Services at theRepository at St. Cloud State. It has been accepted for inclusion in Library Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of theRepository at St. Cloud State. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Expand, Humanize, Simplify : An Interview with Sandy Berman Sanford Berman & Tina Gross Sanford "Sandy" Berman is best known as an outspoken critic of the biases, omissions, and anachronisms of the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). He has inspired and challenged generations of catalogers to prioritize the needs of library users over deferential adherence to standards. His unrelenting efforts to improve and expand subject access for library users came to prominence with the 1971 publication of his seminal Prejudices and Antipathies: A Tract on the LC Subject Heads Concerning People,1 written while Sandy was working at the University of Zambia. For over 25 years as the head cataloger at the Hennepin County Library (HCL), Sandy led a cataloging operation that devised and maintained its own subject headings system and pioneered practices designed to better facilitate access, often deviating from established standards.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Decades Since Prejudices and Antipathies: a Study of Changes in the Library of Congress Subject Headings
    Three Decades Since Prejudices and Antipathies: A Study of Changes in the Library of Congress Subject Headings Steven A. Knowlton ABSTRACT. The Library of Congress Subject Headings have been criticized for containing biased subject headings. One leading critic has been Sanford Berman, whose 1971 monograph Prejudices and Antipa- thies: A Tract on the LC Subject Heads Concerning People (P&A), listed a number of objectionable headings and proposed remedies. In the de- cades since P&A was first published, many of Berman’s suggestions have been implemented, while other headings remain unchanged. This paper compiles all of Berman’s suggestions and tracks the changes that have occurred; a brief analysis of the remaining areas of bias is included. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Ser- vice: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.] KEYWORDS. Berman, Sanford, 1933-; bias; subject cataloging; Li- brary of Congress Subject Headings Address correspondence to: Steven A. Knowlton, MLIS, 1356 Rambling Road, Ypsilanti, MI 48198 (E-mail: [email protected]). Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, Vol. 40(2) 2005 Available online at http://www.haworthpress.com/web/CCQ 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital Object Identifier: 10.1300/J104v40n02_08 123 124 CATALOGING & CLASSIFICATION QUARTERLY THE PROBLEM OF BIASED HEADINGS IN LCSH Since its first publication in 1909 as Subject Headings Used in the Dictionary Catalogues of the Library of Congress (Stone 2000), the Li- brary of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) have come under scrutiny by librarians.
    [Show full text]