Highlights from the February 2016 SACO editorial meeting and LCSH monthly list.
SACO, emphases theirs
College fraternity members’ writings; College fraternity members’ writings, American
The work being cataloged is a collection of correspondence by college fraternity members and should be assigned the heading College fraternity members—United States—Correspondence.
The proposal was not necessary.
But then they established
150 College sorority members' writings, American [May Subd Geog] [sp2015002916] (C)
450 UF American college sorority members' writings
550 BT American literature
I'm confused! It seems to me that they rejected this exact heading ("fraternity" for "sorority") and then established the sorority version. Can someone explain this to me?!?
Indigenous men; Indigenous men—Identity; Indian men—Identity
The only support provided for these proposals was the title of the work being cataloged, which uses the word “indigenous” but does not indicate in which sense the word is used. It is often used to mean “native to an area” in a general sense and also as an adjective to refer to American Indians. The proposals may be resubmitted with a description of the work being cataloged.
But…Indigenous children is an LCSH as is Indigenous peoples, so how is Indigenous men (or women) a question?
I guess the proposer should have included LC's existing heading in their proposal, rather than expect SACO would assume that's what they were talking about?
Nuns’ writings; Nuns’ writings, American; Nuns’ writings, Colombian; Nuns’ writings, English; Nuns’ writings, German; Nuns’ writings, Mexican
These proposals were all made to revise the hierarchical structure to Literature—Women authors (for Nuns’ writings) and [nationality] literature—Women authors (for the others). The meeting wishes to maintain cohesive lists of narrower terms under the headings Literature and [nationality] literature rather than separate some by gender. The proposals were not approved.
Wait, but Nuns' writings, American is already a thing, as are Colombian and others. Still confused.
LCSH, emphases mine
150 Codependency in literature [Not Subd Geog] [sp2015002993] (A)
The warrant is Heroine abuse : Dostoevsky's "Netochka Nezvanova" and the poetics of codependency.
150 Lunchboxes in art [Not Subd Geog] [sp2015002849] (C)
The warrant is an artist book "about Baby Boomers who are sandwiched between the debt incurred from children that failed-to-launch into society as financially independent Gen X’ers and their aging parents who were ill prepared for the present skyrocketing cost of living, healthcare, and increasing longevity."
Image from 23 Sandy Gallery
The woe-are-baby-boomers thing irks me. Isn't it time to stop jumping on Gen X. btw I can't think of any more of my contemporaries than of my parents' who "failed to launch." The book, in a limited run of twelve, is issued in a lunchbox, but I don’t know that the work has anything to do with lunchboxes. That's not to say that I'm disappointed with this heading. I just hope it attracts some works that are actually described by Lunchboxes in art.
There should probably be a Lunchbox art heading, too!
150 Scholars, Black [May Subd Geog] [sp2015002672] (A)
450 UF Black scholars
Duh.
Warrant
Race and the Politics of Knowledge Production, 2016: CIP data sheet (Contributors of African descent from the United States and Brazil reflect on their multidimensional experiences in the field as researchers, collaborators, and allies to communities of color. They expose the complex and contradictory efforts, discourses, and performances that Black researchers must use to implement and develop their community-centered research agenda.)
150 Women, Black, in popular culture [May Subd Geog] [sp2015003052] (C)
550 BT Popular culture
It's nice to see Black in this heading and the one above. Even if the word itself is not without its problems, at least the vernacular meaning is appropriate to the humans it describes and not as erasing as African Americans is of people who are Black but not directly of African origin, mostly thinking of Caribbean Black people.
Warrant
Black Women's Bodies and The Nation: Race, Gender and Culture by Shirley Anne Tate.
Cover from Palgrave Macmillan