Highlights from the December 2014 SACO editorial meeting and LCSH monthly list.
SACO, emphases theirs
Boatwomen
The existing heading Boatmen has a UF Boat operators, which implies that the heading is gender-neutral. That view is supported by the Merriam-Webster unabridged dictionary, which defines boatman as “a person (especially a man) who works on, deals in, or operates boats.”
In the course of evaluating this proposal, the meeting also found that the distinction between Boatmen and Boaters (Persons) has not been understood or well-maintained. Tentative List 2 (2015) will include proposals to cancel Boatmen in favor of Boaters (Persons), add a scope note to Boaters (Persons), and adjust references on other headings.
The heading Boaters (Persons) should be assigned to the work being cataloged. The proposal for Boatwomen was not approved.
I'm a fan of their plan to replace Boatmen with Boaters (Persons). But why not have Boatmen and Boatwomen with UFs? How hard is that?
Undocumented immigrants [and five related proposals]
This proposal was made to change the wording of the existing heading Illegal aliens to Undocumented immigrants. Illegal aliens is an inherently legal heading, and as such the preference is to use the legal terminology. The U.S. Code, Title 8, Aliens and Nationality, uses the terminology “illegal aliens.” In addition, the 9th edition of Black's Law Dictionary includes the headword “illegal alien” with a cross-reference from “undocumented alien.” The Legislative Indexing Vocabulary used by the Congressional Research Service follows suit by authorizing the heading “Illegal aliens,” with a reference from “Undocumented aliens.” The meeting also notes that in some legal systems, a person may be an undocumented alien without being in a jurisdiction illegally; general works on undocumented legal aliens are covered by the heading Aliens. Finally, Immigrants – the proposed broader term for the revised heading – is not an inherently legal heading. Mixing an inherently legal concept with one that is not inherently legal leads to problems with the structure and maintenance of LCSH, and makes assignment of headings difficult.
All of the above argue against revising the heading. A UF Undocumented aliens was added to the record in 1993 to provide additional access, and reflects the fact that the common terminology is fluid.
The proposals were not approved.
Ugh. Missing the point.
I discovered today that the heading for what most of us probably think of as Aliens is Extraterrestrial beings.
LCSH, emphases mine
150 Arab American sexual minorities [May Subd Geog] [sp2014002555] (C)
450 UF Sexual minorities, Arab American
550 BT Sexual minorities--United States
150 Rape in universities and colleges [May Subd Geog] [sp2014002486] (C)
053 LB2345.3.R37
450 UF Campus rape
450 UF College rape
550 BT Campus violence
550 BT Universities and colleges
Yes, indeed.
Photo from a demo against campus rape culture at Columbia University, from Carry That Weight blog.
150 Tattooed women [May Subd Geog] [sp2014002661]
550 BT Tattooed people