Columbia College Chicago Library is dedicated to describing our collections in an inclusive and respectful way. We believe that patrons should not have to search offensive terminology to access our resources.
Selecting language to describe library materials (metadata) is not a neutral practice. For example, librarians have created standardized subject headings over decades without representative input from historically marginalized people and communities. Because of this, patrons may encounter language in our catalog that is racist, sexist, ableist, or otherwise offensive. An ongoing mission of our library is to replace derogatory language. These efforts include:
We believe that these changes improve library usability and access for all patrons.
Due to the interconnected nature of academic library systems and requirements for using standardized terminology, however, immediate changes to language are not always possible. In these instances, we will contact governing institutions to advocate for change.
When describing a resource, librarians will copy language directly from an item. This can include potentially offensive terminology in a title, subtitle, table of contents, or elsewhere in the resource. We will continue to transcribe language as it appears, in an effort to preserve the historical and social contexts surrounding the resource’s creation and prevent whitewashing that history.
If you find language in our catalog or on our library website that is offensive, please let us know via this anonymous form.
