University Libraries

By Joan Milligan

In library catalogs, a system of “preferred terms” is used to avoid confusion between concepts. Yet, in our culture, race and ethnicity are complex concepts that do not fit easily into categories. As we sift through the mountain of information available to us, some language constraints are inevitable. To ensure reliable organization, libraries in the United States look to the Library of Congress, which has developed its own controlled vocabulary. This is a list — a very big list — of preferred terms, with specific meanings attached, in order to create conformity in library description.

Consider the subject terms African Americans and Blacks. How do you know which one to pick? These are Library of Congress Subject Headings, and in the Library of Congress’s usage, the difference is nationality. African Americans are from the United States; Blacks are people worldwide.

Examples

Before discussing how preferred terms are chosen, let’s first look at some examples.

These are valid catalog subjects:

• African Americans – Education

• Blacks – Education

As are these:

• Older African Americans

• Older blacks

Dark Victorians by Vanessa D. Dickerson is about African Americans in Great Britain. In the catalog, it has the subject African Americans – Great Britain – History. From Scottsboro to Munich: Race and Political Culture in 1930s Britain by Susan D. Pennybacker is about both groups in Great Britain, so it is cataloged using both African Americans – Great Britain – History and Blacks – Great Britain – History.

Names of organizations or movements, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Black Lives Matter movement, are found in the catalog in the form they are used and not affected by preferred term rules.

These are good things to know when using the subject search, but most people begin with keyword searches. Keyword searches for outdated terms such as Negroes or Chicanos will bring up many results because these words may be part of a title, contents or description. So, though these terms are not commonly used anymore or are potentially viewed as offensive, you will still find materials by using these as keyword search terms because the library holds many materials published from past decades. More current terms such as People of Color or Latinx, although not official Library of Congress Subject Headings, will also retrieve contemporary materials as part of keyword searches if these terms are used in the title, contents, or description.

However, using only keywords can be hit or miss. A good strategy is to use keywords to find a resource that matches your interests, then look at its subject links, which are Library of Congress terms. You can click on these to find more resources on a given topic, such as: Mexican Americans, Hispanic Americans, Indians of North America.  These links may also make you aware of related searches you had not thought of.

Two things to note. First, it is only necessary to specify a group if it is a special topic or minority within the context of the resource. Meaning, you may want to search Whites – Southern States or Refugees, Arab – United States; but if you are looking for something on Japanese people in Japan, you can simply use Japan.

Second, given that these predetermined subject headings do not combine, you might need to look at several subjects to find what you are looking for. To use the subject matter of Charlene A. Carruthers' activism guidebook Unapologetic as an example, you may need to search African American lesbians in addition to African American women.

As you search, the catalog will suggest alternate terms and related terms, showing you what is available. Remember to keep an eye out for the links in a record and use them to navigate toward your area of interest. Help is available during research consultation hours or by appointment via Book a Librarian; all consultations will take place via Zoom or phone. 

Asian Indians or East Indians: Who decides?

The Library of Congress has a committee that oversees its list of terms, which grows mainly through the input of catalogers. When a work cannot be described by the terms already recorded, catalogers send a request to the committee with a proposed new term, its definition, similar terms and broader terms in order to give it context. Once a term is chosen and catalogs across the country begin to use it, it becomes difficult and labor-intensive to change. This means that the vocabulary tends to reflect the bias of a quickly disappearing past.

Timeliness is not the only problem. Think about how terms are nominated for inclusion based on what is published. Who is doing the writing or recording? Who is doing the publishing? What are they focusing on? What are they neglecting and why? Who is buying what is published? Who is collecting it? It is not difficult to conclude that these terms can reflect dominant — and often oppressive — systems. It is a big task to maintain subject terms that keep up with our constantly evolving use of language; that are inclusive rather than exclusive; and that reflect current understanding of power, oppression and privilege.

As we work toward better understanding and reduction of our racial and cultural biases in this country, the language we use in our discussions is important. If you are interested in this topic, consider logging into the UD Libraries catalog to conduct a subject search for:

Discrimination in language; Nonsexist language; Language and culture; Racism in language; Sociolinguistics; or any topic + “Language,” such as Gay men – Language or Postcolonialism – Language.

Further reading

• “The Bias Hiding in Your Library,” by Amanda Ros, coordinator of monograph copy cataloging, Texas A&M University
• “Library of Congress Drops Illegal Alien Subject Heading, Provokes Backlash Legislation,” by Lisa Peet
• “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Library's Online Catalog,” by the University of Iowa Libraries

— Joan Milligan is the Special Collections Cataloger at the University of Dayton Libraries.