Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
How Did We Get Here? Race and Ethnicity in Dewey Decimal Classification. |
| Authors: |
Thornton, Lisa1 lisa.thornton1@shu.edu |
| Source: |
Knowledge Organization. 2024, Vol. 51 Issue 6, p414-424. 11p. |
| Subjects: |
Dewey decimal classification, Race, Ethnicity, Classification of books, Library catalogs |
| Abstract: |
There is burgeoning interest in decolonizing the library catalog to recognize and remove longstanding bias. This article takes a step back and examines how theories about human classification from antiquity informed 18th and 19th century ideas of race and ethnicity and how these ideas became embedded in Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC). It explores the evolution of DDC with respect to these subjects across four editions and over the course of 130 years, reflecting on DDC’s presentation of changing dominant societal views. Finally, the article acknowledges the role librarians play in tending to the values of knowledge organization and our need to continually evaluate the impact of our work on the production, organization, and distribution of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|
Copyright of Knowledge Organization is the property of IMR Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
Engineering Source |
