Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Penn Libraries Collections Discovery: Resources

Library subjects and call numbers can be the subject of controversy.

Documentary on the Darmtouth students and librarians that challenged anti-immigrant language in Library of Congress subject headings

Dorothy Porter challenged the racial bias in the Dewey Decimal System, putting black scholars alongside white colleagues

The Library of Congress subject headings have been examined in the past for their classification of subjects relating to race, gender, and sexuality. Overlooked is subject headings that relate to disabilities.

This paper contends that systemic violence is fundamentally a classification problem. The interrogation of the production of racialized library subjects in relation to one another and in relation to political and social conditions may shed light on the intensely complex problems of racism in the United States today.

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.

Archives For Black Lives in Philadelphia (A4BLiP) is a loose association of archivists, librarians, and allied professionals in the area responding to the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement. The group was inspired by Jarrett Drake, formerly Digital Archivist at Princeton University, and his work to end archives’ erasure of Black lives.

Periodically, the University reports on its progress on campus-wide initiatives and priorities. The reports listed below provide information and status reports on selected initiatives that are relevant to Penn's aims for achieving excellence through diversity.

The Group on Library Diversity (GOLD) supports the University of Pennsylvania Libraries Diversity Statement, including its commitment to foster and ensure a welcoming and respectful environment for all library staff and users. GOLD provides training and informational programs, assists with the recruitment process, and serves as a resource for raising awareness about diversity. Mission and Responsibilities: GOLD works with staff, Administrative Council, and the Libraries Human Resources Office to promote and support a diverse workforce within the Libraries.