OhioLINK, Ohio's academic library consortium, has added inclusive, alternative subject headings to MARC records for shared electronic resources that include the word alien as a term to mean non-citizens. The additions addressed proposed, but not yet implemented, changes for twelve Library of Congress (LC) subject headings. These additional subject headings display as keywords and are searchable in the OhioLINK Central Catalog.
|
LC Subject Headings |
Alternative Headings |
|
Alien criminals |
Noncitizen criminals |
|
Alien detention centers |
Immigrant detention centers |
|
Aliens |
Noncitizens |
|
Aliens in art |
Noncitizens in art |
|
Aliens in literature |
Noncitizens in literature |
|
Aliens in mass media |
Noncitizens in mass media |
|
Aliens in motion pictures |
Noncitizens in motion pictures |
|
Children of illegal aliens |
Children of undocumented immigrants |
|
Illegal alien children |
Undocumented immigrant children |
|
Illegal aliens |
Undocumented immigrants |
|
Illegal aliens in literature |
Undocumented immigrants in literature |
|
Women illegal aliens |
Women undocumented immigrants |
In 2016, the Library of Congress decided to change their subject headings “Aliens” to “Noncitizens” and “Illegal aliens” to “Undocumented immigrants” but due to legislative delays, did not actually make the change. In June 2020, a report from ALA’s Subject Analysis Committee provided guidance for libraries wanting to make the change. OhioLINK’s Database Improvement and Discoverability (DIAD) Policy Team began discussing what it would mean for member institutions and created guidelines for local changes. Numerous libraries and library consortia already have made these local changes to their library catalogs and discovery systems.
These changes were approved by OhioLINK’s Library Advisory Committee, comprised of member library deans and directors. Updated records also were provided to member libraries for local use. Member libraries should consult DIAD’s “Guidelines for Addressing Outdated or Offensive Subject Terms” from November 2020 for more information and various local options.
About OhioLINK: Connecting libraries, learning and discovery.
Established in 1992, the Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK) is Ohio’s statewide academic library consortium, serving 88 institutions plus the State Library of Ohio. Delivering both IT infrastructure and content negotiation, OhioLINK provides students, researchers, faculty, and staff with access to valuable digital research collections at a fraction of the cost if those collections were purchased by individual institutions. OhioLINK also connects library services, print and digital collections among its member institutions and manages collaborative services aimed at reducing students’ cost of higher education in Ohio, including eTutoring and Affordable Learning. A member of the Ohio Technology Consortium of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, OhioLINK creates a competitive advantage for its member institutions and supports student and researcher success across Ohio. Learn more at ohiolink.edu.
