The Middlebury Libraries are dedicated to preserving and making accessible the College’s rich history and unique collections. To better achieve this goal, Special Collections has recently added a suggestion button and finding aid authors to our Archives Space (go/aspace) platform.
What is reparative cataloging and why is it important? Reparative cataloging is a way of acknowledging the biases and omissions present in traditional cataloging practices and addressing them through community input and collaboration .The Reparative Cataloging Project is part of the Middlebury Libraries’ commitment to update racist or outdated catalog records and to amplify underrepresented voices. This project seeks to address catalog records that are historically inaccurate, offensive, discriminatory, or harmful. It also seeks to make records for works by authors from historically marginalized populations more discoverable by providing greater description and subject access.
By implementing a suggestion button in our archival finding aids, we are moving towards a more inclusive and accurate representation of our collections. The “Suggest a Correction” button allows users to suggest changes to our finding aids, such as removing outdated terminology, correcting spelling or factual errors, or using alternate names. Suggestions are submitted using a Google Form, and are then reviewed by Special Collections staff. We hope that this new feature encourages community engagement and collaboration, and contributes to our goal of accurate and inclusive description.
Original source can be found here.
