Li814 Cataloging Schemes

Classification Schemes 1 Running Head: BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CLASSIFICATION AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Brief Overview of Classification Schemes And Indigenous Peoples

Monique Lloyd Emporia State University

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Abstract This paper will provide a brief overview of how cataloging classification schemes address the histories and contemporary realities of Native American people, how access can be improved, as well as a brief overview of who is identifying developing alternatives.

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The American Library Association website states that Librarians have a professional obligation to ensure that all library users have free and equal access to the entire range of library services, materials, and programs. (ALA, 2008). However, current classification and subject headings reflect the dominant culture and as a result those groups which are outside that culture are marginalized resulting in difficulties for users to access and retrieve information. It can also result in reinforcing negative stereotypes. Native Americans are one such group. An article by Hope Olson, a professor at the School of Information Studies University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee whose research interests include classification theory and, in particular, classification and culture, provides an excellent theoretical framework regarding the application of classification systems and how, because they are bounded systems, they result in the marginalization of some groups. She lists three assumptions: that classification is constructed by the dominant culture, that there are limits that result in exclusions, and that classification defines what is accepted as knowledge. While she states in her conclusion that “(a)ll systems will exclude and marginalize in some way” (Olson, 1998), she advocates for allowing classification systems to become unstable and permeable so that they can be deconstructed and then reconstructed, allowing silenced voices to be heard. A practical application of one way that process can happen is detailed in a project describing the revising of an internal subject headings list by creating a supplemental thesaurus to the Library of Congress Subject Headings (Martens, 2006). The project was

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begun because of a need for specialized subject headings in the National Indian Law Library collection of federal Indian and tribal law. While the hope was that this would help increase user access to materials, that has not been the result because the thesaurus is so complex . Consideration is now being given to constructing a user-based version which may be more useful to researchers of Native American Law. The American Library Association Subject Access and Classification Committee has developed a wiki to identify ways to improve subject headings and part of their work includes suggesting subject headings to the Library of Congress to be included in the Library of Congress Subject Authority File. They have also examined a variety of different classification schemes and provided a list of useful thesauri including the First Nations Names Authority List. There has also been a proposal to reconsider the collective headings “Indians of North America” and “Native Peoples” with the names of specific aboriginal groups or nations. This topic is still being discussed with some preferring the term Native American instead of Indian. Others wish to see the term American Indian used. Even within those who favor the use of specific nation names, there is discussion as to whether it should be what is commonly used or the people’s own names for themselves such as Hodenausonee instead of Iroquois or Tsalagi instead of Cherokee. There have some changes in the past decades including changing Chippewa Indians to Ojbiwe Indians and Huron Indians to Wyandot Indians, but who will chose which term to use and how will this affect user’s abilities to access materials? A classification system developed by Brian Deer, one of the first Native MLS

Classification Schemes 5 librarians in Canada, has been used as a model for other Native systems. He included systems which were relevant to Canadian First Nations libraries focusing on the realities of the communities’ needs. The design was intentionally simple as he understood the limited resources available in most Native libraries. The system is constantly changing, with new topics constantly being added into the existing scheme. This lack of clear guidelines leads to inconsistencies and that, as well as the focus remaining local are its main weaknesses although it is useful for small Native collections, as it simple for catalogers to apply and for users to understand. Classification systems such as Library of Congress Classification system are inherently biased and this bias marginalizes Native American library materials. This then makes access to Native American materials more difficult , promoting stereotypes and alienating Native American users. Another concern is that these classifications systems are not designed with how Native Americans organize ideas and see the world. A potential solution to this problem is to modify LCC classification at the local library level. Two libraries that have done this are the American Indian Resource Center and the UC Berkeley Native American Studies Library. A more difficult solution would be to encourage LCC to modify their systems. A third solution would be to use a Native American classification system, such as the one designed by Brian Deer. It is encouraging that the Native American library community has begun discussing classification. The hope is that this discussion will help educate non-Native librarians become aware of these issues and their effects on both Native and non-Native users.

Classification Schemes References American Indian Library Association Subject Access and Classification Committee Retrieved June 30, 2008 from http://ailasacc.pbwiki.com/Subject%20Headings American Library Association (2008). Access to library resources and services A interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved June 29, 2008 from http://ala.org/alaorg/oif/acc_gend.html Berman, S. (1995). When the subject is Indians. Libraries Newsletter, 18 (2), Retrieved June 29, 2008 from http://www.nativeculturelinks.com/ailanewsW95_LCindians.html Brian Deer Classification website. Retrieved July 2, 2008 from http://www.slais.ubc.ca/COURSES/libr517/02-03-wt2/projects/deer/index.htm Library of Congress. Headings for Indian Tribes Recognized by the U.S. Government. Retrieved July 1, 2008 from http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/tribes.html Martens, M.. (2006). Creating a supplemental thesaurus to the LCSH for a specialized collection: The experience of the National Indian Law Library. Law Library Journal 98, (2), 287-297). MacDonell, P. Tagami, R. & Washington. P. Brian Deer Classification System. Retrieved June 30, 2008 from http://www.slais.ubc.ca/PEOPLE/students/studentprojects/R_Tagami/517/index.htm Olson, H/ A. 1998. Mapping beyond Dewey's boundaries: Constructing classificatory

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space for marginalized knowledge domains. Library Trends 47 (2), 233-255.