Hello everyone!
At the end of November, I emailed our clients that were actively using our local “Indigenous peoples” authorities for related term changes. This email requested response to a survey related to some potential sweeping changes across our file. The questions were thus:
1. How do you feel about changing tribal naming patterns like "Cree people" to "Cree (North American people)"? The latter is more consistent with LCDGT and Greater Victoria Public Library.
2. Which format do you prefer for subject headings related to "Indigenous people of North America"
* $a Indigenous peoples $z North America
* $a Indigenous peoples of North America
Of those that responded, the desire was OVERWHELMING to adjust and add parentheticals where appropriate as well as to move “North America” to a $z. There were 2 or 3 respondents that preferred our original way of doing things.
Due to the response, we have decided to implement changes across the file. The changes also include much needed updating to some community names (such as changing “Delaware” to “Lenape”)! We’ve incorporated the work completed by the X̲wi7X̲wa Library as well as the Greater Victoria Public Library; their contribution is noted in a 6XX of our local authority record. In a few cases, a preferred term was taken from the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance.
Instead of adding a parenthetical to ALL community names, we’ve decided to rely on just those that the Greater Victoria Public Library has identified. We’ve also decided to remove the term “people” from the community names. Instead of something like “Navajo people” the new term would be just “Navajo”. Where there is a conflict elsewhere in the greater LC authority file, a parenthetical will be added. For instance, instead of changing “Comanche people” to just “Comanche”, we will use “Comanche (North American people)” since there is a personal Name Authority for just “Comanche” . We would hate for a random bug in any ILS to accidentally change those to personal names!
I’ve also taken the time to create other local authorities to force those original headings that may have $z Alaska or $z Canada to either Alaska Natives or First Nations. As such, our local authority file is now over 5100 terms. A full list of our NEW Indigenous Peoples term changes is attached. I will be updating the online Google Sheet<tinyurl.com/IndigGeneral>, too, once the changes are live (the current link has the old terms). The plan is to have the vocabulary LIVE by February 7th. Those of you who receive our Authority Notification service should receive these changes during your first run after we make the changes live.
If you are an institution that needs to remain with our original pattern of “Indigenous peoples of North America” and retaining “people” in the community name, please contact your Project Manager so she can make sure that is retained … community name updates WILL still happen. Please let us know before January 5th if you must keep the original patterns.
Thanks,
Casey
Ms. Casey Cheney, PMP | Vice President, Automation Services
Backstage Library Works | Provo, Utah & Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Phone: 801.356.1852 x692 | Fax: 801.356.8220 | ccheney(a)bslw.com<mailto:ccheney@bslw.com> | www.bslw.com<http://www.bslw.com/>
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