Why do we use LCSH? What are its benefits and limitations?
Three Decades Since Prejudices and Antipathies: A Study of Changes in the Library of Congress Subject Headings by Steven A. Knowlton
LTS has updated HOLLIS to display (also indexed and faceted) subject headings from African Studies Thesaurus, Homosaurus, and First Nations House of Learning:
African Studies Thesaurus 650#7 $$a Enslaved people. $$2 ascl
Homosaurus: An International LGBTQ+ Linked Data Vocabulary 650#7 $$a Non-binary people. $$2 homoit (This vocabulary is not faceted. Should be used to supplement LCSH on records for more accurate/specific terms but won’t be sufficient if faceted headings are needed)
First Nations House of Learning 650#7 $$a First nations. $$2 fnhl (Unable to find the actual thesarus anywhere, only articles talking about it. Not listed/linked on their website or in any of the articles about it. May not actually be available for use beyond UBC Xwi7xwa library currently. Will reach out to LTS to see if this inclusion in Alma is really for OCLC master records with these headings and not for us to use them currently. See https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277022370_Indigenization_of_Knowledge_Organization_at_the_Xwi7xwa_Library for more details on the vocab. It is faceted)
LCSH should be first source for subject and genre headings and if terms are offensive, outdated, inaccurate, or not specific enough other existing thesauri should be used. Homosaurus and African Studies Thesarus (need to triple check that you cannot facet) are not faceted, so are limited in their use for descriptive cataloging and should generally be seen as supplementary to LCSH when faceted headings are needed/desired. The use of locally created subject headings is NOT recommended.
Maybe describe process for staff requesting changes to LCSH at Schlesinger and at Harvard: SACO Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Anti-Racism Task Group (SACO DIBAR Task Group)
From Harvard:
“How can we all contribute to this effort?
We encourage library staff to submit for correction LCSH terms that might be considered offensive, or to suggest new terms according to these principles, through our survey. A link to this survey may also be found on the SACO DIBAR Wiki page, linked above.
Please direct faculty, students and all other patrons who find offensive LCSH terms, or who have suggestions for new terms according to these principles, to the HOLLIS Feedback link. More information on this process may be found under "How do I report an offensive term found in Hollis?" at the Ask a Librarian FAQ page.”
Link to African American Subject Funnel Project (@SACO): https://www.loc.gov/aba/pcc/saco/aframerfun.html
Info on the history of the funnel: https://drive.google.com/file/d/179ZDjC-E7Bey5W282HaGKDHMkttfLFQC/view
Articles
The Language of Cataloguing: Deconstructing and Decolonizing Systems of Organization in Libraries: https://ojs.library.dal.ca/djim/article/view/7853