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Prejudice but no pride: The Portuguese Universal Decimal Classification’s labelling of sexual orientation
Abstract
Critical cataloguing aims to study cases of social injustice, misrepresentation, negative biases, offensive terminologies, and hegemonic and oppressive hierarchical structures in the representation of communities and identities in knowledge organization systems. The aim of this study is to provide a critical analysis of the representation of sexual orientation in the Portuguese Universal Decimal Classification, grounded in a qualitative content analysis method. The results show that the principle of exhaustiveness does not manifest itself in the representation of sexual orientation. The absence of the term ‘heterosexuality’ mirrors the heteronormative hegemony, while the minoritization of ‘lesbianism’, but not of ‘male homosexuality’, reflects the patriarchal hegemony. The representation of sexual orientation carries the historical pathologization of sexual orientations other than heterosexuality. The Portuguese Universal Decimal Classification conveys negative biases and misrepresents sexual orientation in a way that is irreconcilable with present-day reality. Critical thinking must be encouraged within the library community and the Universal Decimal Classification should be promptly revised and updated.
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Despite the fact that scholarship and knowledge about sex and sexuality have grown enormously in the last century, these topics in the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) schedules have remained stagnant, particularly in the HQ schedule (a classification subclass), entitled "The Family. Marriage. Women." In this schedule, multiple structural issues in organization and placement of topics demonstrate a deeply sex negative attitude that has seen relatively little change in over a century. This article takes a deep dive into the negative attitudes toward sex and sexuality in the LCC HQ schedule, analyzing the ways in which sex negativity manifests structurally in LCC, and is informed by a thematic review of schedule editions between 1910 and 2020. It turns critical efforts that are traditionally applied to the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) in critical cataloging literature, to the deeper underlying structure of LCC. Though critiques and shortcomings of both LCC and LCSH on the treatment of LGBTQIA+ topics are well noted in the literature, very few examine the underpinnings of LGBTQIA+ marginalization as informed by sex negativity. This article examines some major issues in the HQ schedule with an eye toward providing a roadmap for future revisions. We aim for readers to realize what it means for structural inequity to exist in LCC, the harm that that structural inequity can impart, and to take a critical eye to the foundational classification used within numerous libraries, beyond the subject headings overlaying and masking that classification.
This paper reports on an initial exploration of knowledge classification ethics: What are the important ethical issues in how we classify knowledge and what kind of cognitive, cultural and social impacts may they have? An important part of Knowledge Management is the classification and organisation of knowledge to make it findable and reveal connections in related subjects. Discussion on the ethical aspects of this issue have recently been brought to the fore in both Library and Information Studies (LIS), in terms of objections to Library classification terms, and also in AI which can classify data using data sets which themselves reflect existing injustices and bias. The ethical implications of both types of knowledge classification can be better understood when the classification ethics debate in LIS and AI are used to inform each other. Findings include that AI provides clarity on measuring adverse outcomes whilst LIS provides nuance on the potential cultural and psychological harm of inappropriate terminology and inaccurate positioning within ‘worlds of knowledge’.
Bibliographic records can include information from controlled vocabularies to capture identities about individuals, especially about authors or intended audiences; personal name authority records can also contain information about identity. Employing a systematic analysis of the overlap of the Homosaurus, Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), and Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms (LCDGT), this article explores the extent to which LGBTQ+ identities are represented in the three vocabularies. Despite LCSH’s long, iterative history of development and the faceted, post-coordinate nature of LCDGT, neither vocabulary was found to be adequate in covering the complex, LGBTQ+ identities represented in the Homosaurus.
Critical race theory (CRT) is a framework that evolved from critical legal studies of the 1970s but has only recently been the target of intense scrutiny in education and politics. This article aims to describe CRT and how it can frame issues within cataloging and classification standards and practice. CRT tenets permanence of racism, whiteness as property, the critique of liberalism, intersectionality, counter-storytelling, and interest convergence are explored in the context of cataloging and classification work. Concepts of “authority” and “justice” are also examined. CRT can provide valuable evidence for critical cataloging efforts to make cataloging more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Analisa a representação de informações referentes à identidade e a religião islâmica no esquema de classificação bibli-ográfica mais utilizado do mundo. Investiga a existência de desvios na representação de assuntos referentes a culturas não alinhadas à cultura ocidental na 23ª edição da Classificação Decimal de Dewey (CDD23). Conceitua Organização do Conhecimento em sentido restrito como organização das informações em registros bibliográficos e, em sentido amplo, como a organização social do trabalho mental. Define Sistemas de Organização do Conhecimento, enquanto sistemas conceituais atuantes como tipos de representação do conhecimento sendo frutos da organização do conhe-cimento. Aborda a construção do conceito de Islamismo no Ocidente considerando as transformações de sentido mo-duladas pelo contexto sociocultural, conferindo ao Islã a imagem da violência. Define Religião segundo Durkheim como sistema unificado de crenças e de práticas relativo a coisas sagradas; e segundo Hans Mol como a identidade sacralizada. Aponta que a parcialidade na organização do conhecimento permite que documentos relativos à cultura e à identidade de grupos sociais não alinhados jamais sejam recuperados. Objetiva identificar como os assuntos referen-tes a culturas não alinhadas com o ocidente estão organizados; verificar a influência do contexto sociocultural na representação e recuperação da informação em bases de dados de culturas diversas; analisar o Islamismo e suas rela-ções conceituais na CDD. Para alcançar os objetivos propostos realizamos estudosna CDD23 segundo a metodologia de Miranda (2009), pesquisa bibliografica em bases de dados de diferentes culturas com ênfase nas influências do contexto sociocultural na produção cientifica pertinente a cultura Islâmica. Os resultados do estudo da representação do Islamismo na CDD23 demonstaram a existência de desvios (biases) de representação históricas da CDD, evidenci-ados tanto na seleção terminológica quanto em sua estrutura conceitual. Os resultados do levantamento bibliográfico nas bases de dados demonstram uma produção cientifica sobre assuntos referentes a cultura e identidade muçulmana numerosa e diversificada nas bases de dados de natureza global (DOAJ) e não ocidental (AJOL) e uma baixa produção na base de dados ocidental (Scielo). Reitera a necessidade da conduta ética por parte do profissional na classificação de assuntos não alinhadas a cultura ocidental.
This paper explores the knowledge organization landscape in which Hope Olson’s numerous contri- butions to the field are situated. The paper first explores some of the foundational conceptual notions within knowledge organization that today are well-accepted. The paper then reviews Hope Olson’s contributions to that landscape and places her work in the context of Bor- ges’ essay about John Wilkins’ project to develop a universal language that would organize and contain all human thought. The paper shows how Hope Olson’s work on marginalization and exclusion of specific topics and groups of people in large library classification has unraveled the systemic bias found in all classifications. The paper calls for stronger engagement between scholarship and practice to ad- dress marginalization and exclusion in further work on classification systems.
This paper explores the ethics of classification. The paper outlines recent conceptual moves in knowledge organization research and shows that contemporary classification theory is based on a pragmatic understanding of the world. It suggests that unjust statements and assumptions about the world challenge contemporary library classifications and that a proper response is needed. It outlines a framework for the development of ethical classifications based on Maclntyre's practice-based ethical theory. It provides a framework within which editors and managers of library classifications can make ethically sound decisions.
Knowledge Organization (KO) is about activities such as document description, indexing and classification performed in libraries, databases, archives etc. These activities are done by librarians, archivists, subject specialists as well as by computer algorithms. KO as a field of study is concerned with the nature and quality of such knowledge organizing processes (KOP) as well as the knowledge organizing systems (KOS) used to organize documents, document representations and concepts. There exist different historical and theoretical approaches to and theories about KO, which are related to different views of knowledge, cognition, language, and social organization. Each of these approaches tends to answer the question: "What is knowledge organization?" differently. LIS professionals have often concentrated on applying new technology and standards, and may not have seen their work as involving interpretation and analysis of meaning. That is why library classification has been criticized for a lack of substantive intellectual content. Traditional human-based activities are increasingly challenged by computer-based retrieval techniques. It is appropriate to investigate the relative contributions of different approaches; the current challenges make it imperative to reconsider this understanding. This paper offers an understanding of KO based on an explicit theory of knowledge.
Employed by libraries across the globe since its conception in 1876, the Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) is meant to organize non-fiction materials so they can be easily shelved, retrieved, and discovered by all who access them. Although this knowledge organization system uses Arabic numerals to categorize information, the system is far from objective; the assignment of meaning to those numbers introduces bias, especially when it comes to categorizing identities. Partially due to the time and place of its invention as well as the personal prejudices held by its creator, Melvil Dewey, in practice, the DDC marginalizes the vast majority of knowledge regarding any identities that deviate from the Christian, white, cisgender, heteronormative man. This marginalization takes many forms, including the assignment of a disproportionately small divisions (or sections) for certain racial and/or religious groups, the exclusion and delegitimization of some religious identities, and the derogatory naming of specific groups of people. Notably, the ways in which materials in public libraries are organized and presented can significantly affect how the knowledge they convey is understood. And so, the biases in the organization of knowledge concerning certain racial, religious, and LGBTQ+ minorities can negatively impact the social attitudes of the community that library serves. However, neither the DDC nor the public library are static, in fact, they act as reflections of our ever-changing social beliefs; the spheres of knowledge organization and of public knowledge are constantly reinforcing and reverberating off of one another, working in tandem to shape our perception of identity and difference.
This book breaks new ground, offering school and public librarians serving children in grades K-8 a roadmap for implementing and upholding queer-inclusive programs, policies, and services.
School and public librarians are serving ever greater numbers of LGBTQIA+ children and families. Transgender children may begin to express a strong sense of gender identity as early as 2-3 years of age. Children are also identifying as gay much sooner than earlier generations—often between the ages of 7 and 12. Additionally, more children than ever before are living with LGBTQIA+ caregivers.
In seeking to make our programs and services inclusive and equitable for these growing populations, librarians may court controversy and face community backlash from patrons who feel queer-inclusive content is inappropriate for young children. This book codifies a set of best practices for librarians as they rise to this challenge, defining queer-inclusive programs, identifying potential barriers to implementation, and offering strategies and resources to overcome them.
Resources for Additional Support
This paper contains a report of two interdependent knowledge organization (KO) projects for an LGBT2QIA+ library. The authors, in the context of volunteer library work for an independent library, redesigned the classification system and subject cataloguing guidelines to centre LGBT2QIA+ subjects. We discuss the priorities of creating and maintaining knowledge organization systems for a historically marginalized community and address the challenge that queer subjectivity poses to the goals of KO. The classification system features a focus on identity and physically reorganizes the library space in a way that accounts for the multiple and overlapping labels that constitute the currently articulated boundaries of this community. The subject heading system focuses on making visible topics and elements of identity made invisible by universal systems and by the newly implemented classification system. We discuss how this project may inform KO for other marginalized subjects, particularly through process and documentation that prioritizes transparency and the acceptance of an unfinished endpoint for queer KO.
This paper presents preliminary findings from an exploratory research study investigating the education, Library and Information Science (LIS) work experiences, and demographics of description specialists engaging in inclusive description work and/or initiatives. Survey results represent participants’ education background, LIS work experiences, motivations behind projects and initiatives, areas of work and types of project priorities, preferred outcomes, and challenges encountered while engaging in inclusive description work and/or initiatives. Findings also point to gaps in understanding related to cultural concepts. A participant-created definition for inclusive description is a successful outcome of the study.
This article explores and reviews some of the literature surrounding the issue of traditional classification methods for queer identities and content in libraries. Particular attention is given to Emily Drabinski’s article, ‘Queering the Catalogue’ and what her proposed methods might look like in practice. The review was conducted through an analysis of relevant literature, especially paying attention to resources which came from the critical librarianship perspective. The literature addressed in this review considered two major approaches: the first involved methods that were part of cataloguing processes, and the second were concerned with complementary library practice. Further to these two approaches, Drabinski uses queer theory to propose a different method in which original classification terminology is used to ensure an acknowledgement of all relevant discourse. My conclusion from this review is that there is no one universal solution and all libraries should critically engage with their collection in relation to the safety and information needs of their community before making any decisions. In the future, there is a need for more librarians to consider their role critically so that they can make informed decisions about cataloguing and classification regarding access to queer identities and content.
IMPLICATIONS FOR BEST PRACTICE
• Provides an analysis of the seminal critical librarianship piece ‘Queering the Catalogue’ (Drabinski, 2013 Drabinski, E. (2013). Queering the catalogue: Queer theory and the politics of correction. The Library Quarterly, 83(2), 94–111. https://doi.org/10.1086/669547[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar])
• Introduces contested concepts within traditional library classification methods, especially in reference to queer identities and content
• Highlights the important role that librarians can play in classifying queer identities and content within their library
The proceedings explore knowledge organization systems and their role in knowledge organization, knowledge sharing, and information searching.
The papers cover a wide range of topics related to knowledge transfer, representation, concepts and conceptualization, social tagging, domain analysis, music classification, fiction genres, museum organization. The papers discuss theoretical issues related to knowledge organization and the design, development and implementation of knowledge organizing systems as well as practical considerations and solutions in the application of knowledge organization theory. Covered is a range of knowledge organization systems from classification systems, thesauri, metadata schemas to ontologies and taxonomies.
The proceedings explore knowledge organization systems and their role in knowledge organization, knowledge sharing, and information searching.
The papers cover a wide range of topics related to knowledge transfer, representation, concepts and conceptualization, social tagging, domain analysis, music classification, fiction genres, museum organization. The papers discuss theoretical issues related to knowledge organization and the design, development and implementation of knowledge organizing systems as well as practical considerations and solutions in the application of knowledge organization theory. Covered is a range of knowledge organization systems from classification systems, thesauri, metadata schemas to ontologies and taxonomies.
This paper examines the addition of “asexuality” to the Library of Congress Subject Headings as a case study from which to examine the critical cataloging movement. Beginning with a review of some of the theoretical and practical issues around subject access for minoritized and marginalized sexualities, this paper then contextualizes, historicizes, and introduces the critical cataloging movement to the literature, situating it within a larger and longer history of radical cataloging. It will define critical cataloging as a social justice-oriented style of radical cataloging that places an emphasis on radical empathy, outreach work, and recognizes the importance of information maintenance and care. This paper introduces the concept of “catalogic warrant” to characterize the process of “reading” the catalog to examine the harm or benefit of terms on users and the wider library community.
Although laudable strides have been made to highlight and provide access to diverse library materials about and made by traditionally marginalized communities, current approaches are curatorial, non-scalable, and non-systematic. Using a critical design approach, we address how libraries might move beyond curatorial practices with the proposal of a “Critical Catalog” that advocates for diverse materials and discusses the problems and challenges of categorizing identity. The proposed provocative catalog offers the possibility to raise awareness of diverse library materials; expose readers to new and different resources, ideas and cultures; alter reading habits; and ultimately provide more equitable representation by preventing the inadvertent and unintentional erasure of diverse library materials, thus giving a stronger voice to marginalized communities.
Classification and the organization of information are directly connected to issues surrounding social justice, diversity, and inclusion. This paper is written from the standpoint that political and epistemological aspects of knowledge organization are fundamental to research and practice and suggests ways to integrate social justice and diversity issues into courses on the organization of information.
In 1990 Ellen Greenblatt published a study of gay- and lesbian-related terms in the Library of Congress Subject Headings. No such study has been published since, nor has such a study been conducted on the Library of Congress Classification system. This article returns to Greenblatt's LCSH study to see what progress has been made in the last two decades, then uses her study as a template to examine gay- and lesbian-related terminology in LCC. Greenblatt's objections to then-current headings are examples of a tension defined in the research of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and later Grant Campbell: between a "universalizing view," which values unmarked representation of all parts of the population as a whole, and a "minoritizing view" like Greenblatt's, which values visibility for the minority "at any cost." Catalogers and classificationists should be aware of this tension and respectful of current preferred usage of the minority group being represented.
Cataloguing education has been the focus of definition and debate for over a century. Moving beyond cataloguing theory and the creation of records, to the management and process of producing catalogues, increases the complexity of demands placed on professionals and educators. As this article will argue, graduates need to understand their catalogues and integrated systems holisti-cally. This requires a knowledge of each element, of standards governing the creation and maintenance of records, and of the relationship between the record and the catalogue and/or its constituent network. Moreover, the professional must know these things critically, and beyond mere acceptance of standards, so that the catalogue can effectively perform its mediating function between the collection and users.
Critiques of hegemonic library classification structures and controlled vocabularies have a rich history in information studies. This project has pointed out the trouble with classification and cataloging decisions that are framed as objective and neutral but are always ideological and worked to correct bias in library structures. Viewing knowledge organization systems from a queer perspective, however, challenges the idea that classification and subject language can ever be finally corrected. Engaging queer theory and library classification and cataloging together requires new ways of thinking about how to be ethically and politically engaged on behalf of marginal knowledge formations and identities who quite reasonably expect to be able to locate themselves in the library. Queer theory invites a shift in responsibility from catalogers, positioned to offer functional solutions, to public services librarians, who can teach patrons to dialogically engage the catalog as a complex and biased text, just as critical catalogers do.
Michel Foucault's ‘archaeology’ and Erving Goffman's interpersonal sociology are complementary. Both are essential for understanding how classifications of people interact with the people classified, and hence for the author's studies of ‘making up people’. The paper begins by explaining how that project is rooted in an ‘existentialist’ conception of the person. It then uses Goffman's Asylums and Foucault's Folie et déraison - both published in 1961 - to illustrate how these methodologies reinforce each other.
A revealing and surprising look at how classification systems can shape both worldviews and social interactions.
What do a seventeenth-century mortality table (whose causes of death include "fainted in a bath," "frighted," and "itch"); the identification of South Africans during apartheid as European, Asian, colored, or black; and the separation of machine- from hand-washables have in common? All are examples of classification—the scaffolding of information infrastructures.
In Sorting Things Out, Geoffrey C. Bowker and Susan Leigh Star explore the role of categories and standards in shaping the modern world. In a clear and lively style, they investigate a variety of classification systems, including the International Classification of Diseases, the Nursing Interventions Classification, race classification under apartheid in South Africa, and the classification of viruses and of tuberculosis.
The authors emphasize the role of invisibility in the process by which classification orders human interaction. They examine how categories are made and kept invisible, and how people can change this invisibility when necessary. They also explore systems of classification as part of the built information environment. Much as an urban historian would review highway permits and zoning decisions to tell a city's story, the authors review archives of classification design to understand how decisions have been made. Sorting Things Out has a moral agenda, for each standard and category valorizes some point of view and silences another. Standards and classifications produce advantage or suffering. Jobs are made and lost; some regions benefit at the expense of others. How these choices are made and how we think about that process are at the moral and political core of this work. The book is an important empirical source for understanding the building of information infrastructures.