MLA 2024 Conference

The practice of critical cataloging acknowledges that catalogs are not neutral and looks for solutions or ways to address harmful practices and language in the library catalog. Knowing that our catalog is not perfect, the Bridge Consortium of Carleton College and St. Olaf College created a working group to address this and related issues in the cataloging world. The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) Working Group is composed of library staff who are interested in minimizing harmful language and improving access through appropriate metadata in our shared discovery platforms by striving to provide the most relevant and accurate information. This group has met monthly since January 2023, resulting in the creation of a public-facing statement meant to address the issue of harmful language in our libraries. A reporting form was created in tandem with the policy statement so that members of our community may submit concerns about harmful language found in our discovery platforms. In this session, Kate Niemisto and Jane Campbell, co-chairs of the IDEA Working Group, will walk through the process of writing this statement, how the group worked with campus partners to develop both the statement and workflow for submissions, and how they marketed this work to the Bridge Consortium community. By sharing their experiences with this project, Kate and Jane offer attendees an opportunity to reflect on the importance of critical cataloging and brainstorm how a similar project may look at their own libraries.