Inclusive, Informed, and Respectful Language in Library and Archival Descriptions
The Gottesman Libraries recognizes that language and standards are living and subject to change. Subject headings or terms that were once deemed appropriate by the Library of Congress or Society of American Archivists may now be considered outdated, offensive, or harmful as they relate to race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, Indigenous peoples, immigration status, ability status, religion, and other characteristics or identities.
We endeavor to describe our collections in an inclusive, informed, and respectful way and appreciate the need to address outdated, offensive, and harmful language from previous practices. We are committed to evaluating and altering our descriptions so that they can more accurately reflect the content of our collections; address the potential harms of the original description; and, with regard to archival materials, also maintain integrity of historical record.
In working to enhance the discoverability of our collections, remediate our descriptions, and follow best practices, we will:
- Include notes in catalog records to flag, describe, and contextualize instances of harmful language in titles, organizational names, and other terms.
- Include alerts in our finding aids and other collection guides when collections, titles, or terms used by creators include harmful or offensive language.
- Change instances of harmful, outdated, or offensive language in our descriptions when and where possible.
- Continue educating ourselves on best practices and strive to put recommended changes into practice.
Please note that there are instances where original titles of unpublished and published materials, such as films, songs, articles, books, and artworks, will be retained, as well as outdated or offensive organizational names, even if the terms used are no longer acceptable. An example is: The Negro in America: A Bibliography, by Elizabeth W. Miller (Harvard University Press, 1966) which has an updated subject heading of African Americans.
If you encounter harmful or offensive language in our descriptions, please contact us via Ask a Librarian. We will review the instances of harmful description and address them accordingly. If you would like to be updated about the changes in description, please let us know in your initial request, and we will keep you informed.