Naming Prejudice and Oppression, a panel featuring Jose Guerrero, Maren Cornett, Ryan Hildebrand, Jonathan Tuttle, and JP Mongeau

Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale University

A row of seven overlapping books: the different print versions of a specific controlled vocabulary used by librarians.

Print thesauri published between 1983 and 1991: Genre Terms (1983), Printing and Publishing Evidence (1986), Provenance Evidence (1988), Binding Terms (1988), Type Evidence (1990), Paper Terms (1990), and Genre Terms 2nd edition (1991). Photo courtesy of Ryan Hildebrand

Naming Prejudice and Oppression: Implementing Prejudicial Works Vocabulary in Library Catalogs


In 2024, approximately 50 new and revised genre terms describing various strains of prejudice and oppression were added to the RBMS Controlled Vocabulary for Rare Materials Cataloging. This panel will explore the Prejudicial Works vocabulary from the perspectives of librarians who are working to implement the terms into the local cataloging practices of their institutions. The panelists will offer practical strategies for incorporating the terms into descriptions of special collections materials in a variety of formats, while also reflecting on the potential and limitations of the terms for surfacing and contextualizing oppressive content in our collections.

Panelists:

  • Jose Guerrero, BSA-RBMS Liaison
    Berkley Public Library

  • Maren Cornett
    University of Delaware Library, Museums, and Press

  • Ryan Hildebrand
    University of Oregon

  • Jonathan Tuttle
    Schlesinger Library, Harvard

  • JP Mongeau
    University of Delaware Library, Museums, and Press

This session is sponsored by Philip Salmon & Company Rare Books.