#critcat is short for critical cataloging, a group of people interested in discussing the ethical implications of library metadata, cataloging, and classification standards, practice, and infrastructure.
This resource guide was compiled by Treshani Perera and is updated by Violet Fox. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list; instead, it is a valuable starting point to learn more about the ethics of library cataloging and classification.
classification alternatives to LCSH/LCC/DDC
- Crowdsourced list of DEI-specific controlled vocabularies (maintained by the AMIA Cataloging & Metadata Committee) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19solOX6tQTYvlF4lr_JNz2WlcsA76CcK3bxvYZ8cHzg/edit#gid=0
- Indigenous collections/subjects
- Xwi7xwa Library https://xwi7xwa.library.ubc.ca/collections/indigenous-knowledge-organization/
- Brian Deer Classification System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Deer_Classification_System
- Indigenous Subject Headings from the Manitoba Archival Information Network https://main.lib.umanitoba.ca/indigenous-subject-headings
- First Nations, Metis and Inuit – Indigenous Ontologies (FNMIIO) https://nationalindigenousknowledgeandlanguagealliance.home.blog/2019/06/21/first-nations-metis-and-inuit-indigenous-ontologies-fnmiio/
- LGBTQIA+ collections
- Homosaurus http://homosaurus.org/
- General collections
- Anchor Archive Subject Thesaurus https://anchorarchive.org/subject-thesaurus
selected readings and resources
- Drabinski, Emily. “Queering the Catalog: Queer Theory and the Politics of Correction.” The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy 83, no. 2 (2013): 94-111. doi:10.1086/669547.
- Willey, Eric, “Using Captions and Controlled Vocabulary to Describe Visual Materials as an Alternative to Digitization,” Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists 36 no. 1 (2020). Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/provenance/vol36/iss1/5
- Littletree, Sandra and Metoyer, Cheryl A. “Knowledge Organization from an Indigenous Perspective: The Mashantucket Pequot Thesaurus of American Indian Terminology Project.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 53, no. 5-6 (2015): 640-657, doi: 10.1080/01639374.2015.1010113
- Duarte, Marisa Elena and Belarde-Lewis, Miranda “Imagining: Creating Spaces for Indigenous Ontologies.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 53 no. 5-6, (2015): 677-702, doi:10.1080/01639374.2015.1018396
- The Cataloging Ethics Steering Committee website and January 2021 version of the Cataloguing Code of Ethics
- The Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia’s “Anti-Racist Description Resources” provides anti-oppressive recommendations for creating and remediating metadata
zine-specific resources
- Zine Cataloging page at ZineLibraries.info http://zinelibraries.info/running-a-zine-library/zine-cataloging/
- Zine Librarians Code of Ethics (November 2015), available in zine format .pdf, web readable, and Word document https://zinelibraries.info/code-of-ethics/
- Queer Zine Library Cataloging Manual
additional resources
- Report of the SAC Working Group on Alternatives to LCSH “Illegal aliens” https://alair.ala.org/handle/11213/14582
- Cataloging Lab http://cataloginglab.org/ (managed by Violet Fox)
- Critical Cataloging and Classification library guide (managed by Symphony Bruce)
- Past #critcat Twitter chats
other lists of critical cataloging resources
The bibliography of the Cataloging Ethics Steering Committee, used in the creation of the 2021 Cataloguing Code of Ethics, can be found via their website, sites.google.com/view/cataloging-ethics.
A similar list which includes both archival and library description, the Sunshine State Digital Network’s Inclusive Metadata & Conscious Editing Resources, can be found at tinyurl.com/ssdninclusive.
A more archives-oriented resource list, “Archives for Black Lives Philadelphia Anti-Racist Description Resources”, can be found at archivesforblacklives.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/ardr_final.pdf.