Recommendations and Guidance for Creating an Inclusive Language in Library Metadata Statement
Introduction
The SILS Ethical and Inclusive Metadata Practices in UC Library Search (EIMP) Project Team (PT) recommends each UC campus create a public-facing statement of commitment to describing library collections in an inclusive, respectful manner and acknowledgement of potentially offensive language in library metadata. Special Collections & Archives have been at the forefront of this work, and campuses may already have their own statements for these materials. Because boundaries between various types of library materials may not be apparent to users of UC Library Search, it is important to (also) have a single, overarching statement.
Components of an Inclusive Language Statement
The EIMP-PT evaluated statements from various libraries and reviewed the 2023 ALA Core Metadata Interest Group presentation, “Public-facing statements on harmful language in library and archival description: recommendations for implementation,” by Katie Dunn and Samatha Garlock to identify components of an inclusive language statement.
Commitment to ethical and inclusive language
State the library’s commitment to remediating the presence of harmful language in library metadata and to creating ethical and inclusive library metadata. Acknowledge the library's responsibility to catalog critically, describing resources and their creators respectfully and carefully. Such a statement clarifies to readers that the library values and prioritizes the user experience within the context of the library discovery experience. Relate or tie this commitment to larger library values around equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Examples:
We are committed to the on-going work of creating and updating our cataloging and metadata practices to reflect the Library’s values of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
The University of North Texas Libraries is committed to using language that is accurate, inclusive, and non-derogatory when describing materials within the catalog, digital collections, and finding aids.
University of North Texas Libraries Inclusive Metadata Statement
Acknowledgement of the presence of harmful language in library metadata
Acknowledge that the language used to describe library resources is not neutral. Explain that library metadata may contain language that is biased, outdated, or offensive, and that the presence of this language can perpetuate the oppression of marginalized communities.
Examples:
As it stands, these collection descriptions (or metadata) — which include catalog records, finding aids, databases, digitized collections, and exhibitions — are based on established systems and standards that often uphold and perpetuate many forms of oppression and bias, such as white supremacy, colonialism, ableism, patriarchy, misogyny, sexism and the marginalization of sexual orientations and gender identities.
University of Michigan Remediation of Harmful Language in Library Metadata
As a result, catalog records and archival descriptions sometimes contain language that is harmful or omits important information.
While personnel in UMD Libraries' Cataloging and Metadata Services department strive to use inclusive language to describe library materials, you may encounter harmful language in our catalog.
University of Maryland Libraries Statement of harmful language in catalog records)
While we strive to catalog our collections as carefully and thoroughly as possible, we acknowledge that previous descriptive practices and outdated metadata conventions sometimes produce entries and information that are not historically accurate, or are offensive or discriminatory.
UCLA Clark Library Statement on Cataloging
Explanation of why harmful language may be present
Explain why library metadata may contain outdated and problematic terminology. Mention that legacy data in the catalog may contain harmful language that was previously acceptable but is now recognized as offensive. Describe why libraries use controlled vocabularies, including the inherent bias that is part of the Library of Congress Subject Headings thesaurus. Clarify the distinction between transcribed data (which reflects the language used by the creator of the material) and cataloger-provided data (which may introduce additional biases). Acknowledge that catalogers may be charged with describing library materials that represent community of which they are not a member, leading to unintentional misrepresentation or erasure.
Examples:
…you may encounter harmful language in our catalog. You may find examples of such language in book titles, subtitles, or other information transcribed directly from library materials. In these instances, harmful words are not censored because this content provides historical context for understanding the era, attitudes, and opinions of their creators.
University of Maryland Libraries Statement of harmful language in catalog records
Many of our catalog records and finding aids were created years ago and may contain harmful language. It was a common practice to reuse language provided by creators, previous owners, and vendors.
Mechanism for reporting problematic language
Determine a method for users to report problematic language in library metadata. A web form offers the option of anonymity for users and the collection of more information for the library than free-text reporting. An email address is an easy option for collecting user feedback; however, it should be a dedicated group email, rather than an individual email.
Decide on the location of your reporting mechanism. Placing a feedback mechanism in the individual record display enables users to report issues at the point of need. A feedback mechanism can be included in the “About” section of the library website or within a statement on inclusive language in library metadata. Including a feedback mechanism in more than one location is also an option.
Examples:
If you encounter language in UW Libraries catalog records, archival finding aids, or digital collections that you find offensive or harmful, or if you have questions about this statement or our work, we welcome your feedback via this form or uwlib-critcat@uw.edu.
University of Washington Statement on Harmful Language in Catalog Records and Archival Finding Aids
We may be able to change language in these records. If you encounter harmful language, please fill out our feedback form. We will respond to your feedback and communicate any action we will take to update the language.
University of Maryland Statement of Harmful Language in Catalog Records
List of Library Actions/Strategies for Providing Ethical and Inclusive Metadata (optional)
Convey what the library is doing to address harmful language. If you have strategies for mitigating the use of offensive language in library metadata and/or creating library metadata that is ethical and inclusive, consider including those as part of the Ethical and Inclusive Language Statement or directing the user to a public statement of those strategies. List actions and/or describe projects to remediate and/or contextualize potentially outdated or harmful language in library metadata and to create library metadata that is accurate and inclusive.
Examples:
Duke University Libraries Collections & Services Statement on Inclusive Description
Yale Library Reparative Archival Description Working Group: Home
University of Central Oklahoma Inclusive Metadata Strategies
Date of creation/last update
Inclusive language statements should include the date of creation and, when applicable, the date of the most recent update.
Examples:
This statement … was last updated on 2021-08-11.
Drafted: March 2024
Updated: April 2024
University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library Statement on Language in Archival Description
SCRC 2018.04
Last Updated: 10/10/2018
Attribution, when applicable
Acknowledge the contribution of original authors when your statement was created in consultation with inclusive language statements from other institutions with an attribution, including links.
Examples:
This statement has been adapted and expanded from that of Emory University Libraries, Rose Library, and others from this list of statements on bias in library and archives description.
This statement was developed by our DEIA Catalog Working Group and is based on similar statements and efforts at:
William L. Clements Library (University of Michigan)
A related statement can also be found at the Bentley Historical Library.
University of Michigan Library Remediation of Harmful Language in Library Metadata
Invitation for feedback on the statement itself
Invite users to ask questions and provide comments. Welcoming feedback acknowledges the iterative process for improving both descriptive practices as well as clarity and understanding of the inclusive language statement. Such an invitation helps demonstrate library's commitment to an inclusive user experience. Offer one or more channels through which users can provide feedback, or combine the feedback invitation with a mechanism for reporting problematic metadata as described above.
Examples:
UCLA Library welcomes your questions and invites your comments while we improve our descriptive practices. Please use our feedback form (opens in a new tab) to let us know...
UCLA Library Ethical Description Policy
Please contact the Cataloging and Metadata Working Group (capt-cmw@library.illinois.edu) if you have any questions or suggestions for additional changes.
Resource list for further reading
It may be helpful to your users to include a list of references for your institution’s inclusive language in library metadata statement. The references can provide further context for the work your library is pursuing in reducing harmful language from your metadata and emphasize the challenges of this work within a collaborative metadata environment, while keeping your statement brief and direct.
Examples:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
For library and archives professionals interested in doing similar work, we encourage you to read the annotated bibliography found in the Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia’s “Anti-Racist Description Resources,” linked below. This resource focuses on race and racism in archival collection descriptions, but the bibliography covers many related issues of representation in the archives. (Drexel University Libraries' Statement on Harmful Content in Archival Collections)
Reference and Resource List
Public-facing statements on harmful language in library and archival description: Recommendations for implementation (Presentation Video, Slides), Katie Dunn, Samantha Garlock
CatalogingLab - List of statements on bias in library and archives description
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