ORCID
0000-0002-8944-178X
Document Type
Article
Date
2019
Keywords
metadata, access points, diversity, representation, library resources
Language
English
Funder(s)
OCLC/ALISE Research Grant Program
Acknowledgements
We wish to acknowledge and express our gratitude for funding support from the 2018 OCLC/ALISE Library & Information Science Research Grant Program (LISRGP).
Disciplines
Cataloging and Metadata | Library and Information Science
Description/Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate what metadata elements for access points currently exist to represent diverse library reading materials, either in libraries or from external sources, as well as what metadata elements for access points are currently not present but are necessary to represent diverse library reading materials.
Design/methodology/approach A field scan of thirteen contemporary metadata schemas identified elements that might serve as potential access points regarding the diversity status of resource creators as well as topical or thematic content. Elements were semantically mapped using a metadata crosswalk to understand the intellectual and conceptual space of the elements. Element definitions and application of controlled vocabularies were also examined where possible to offer additional context.
Findings Metadata elements describing gender, occupation, geographic region, audience, and age currently exist in many schemas and could potentially be used to offer access to diverse library materials. However, metadata elements necessary to represent racial, ethnic, national and cultural identity are currently not present in specific forms necessary for enabling resource access and collection assessment. Lack of distinct elements contributes to the implicit erasure of marginalized identities.
Originality/value The search for metadata describing diversity is a first step towards enabling more systematic access to diverse library materials. The need for systematic description of diversity to make visible and promote diverse materials is highlighted in this paper. Though the subject of this article is library organization systems and for clarity uses terms specific to the library profession, the issues present are relevant to all information professionals and knowledge organization systems.
ISSN
0022-0418
Recommended Citation
Clarke, Rachel Ivy and Schoonmaker, Sayward, "Metadata for Diversity: Identification and Implications of Potential Access Points for Diverse Library Resources" (2019). School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship. 191.
https://surface.syr.edu/istpub/191
Source
submission
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
