Highlights

Exploring the HCBS

To access all issues of digitized bulletins, follow this link to HCL's special collections: Hennepin County Library Bulletins.

Note: When viewing the HCBs on Hennepin County Library's website, please sort by title ascending.

Language & Discourse

Throughout the Hennepin County Library Bulletins, the subject headings being revised, added, and removed varied greatly in their content. Some of the changes are mundane, while others are more striking. Before subject headings were approved by the Head Cataloger at HCL, the librarians had to justify their changes. Often they drew upon historical and contemporary resources, discourse on social change, pop culture, and patron feedback. Additionally, changes were at times challenged by librarians outside of HCL, who would write letters of dissent.

The subject headings were progressive for their time, reflecting the information available to catalogers at the moment. However, by modern standards, we now recognize a deeper, more nuanced understanding of many subjects, such as disability rights. Throughout the catalog, there are examples of suggestions that a contemporary reader might find inaccurate. This highlights the importance of maintaining a responsive catalog—one that evolves alongside our collective knowledge.

Throughout the HCBs, there are numerous examples of discourse around topics such as, but not limited to, Gay Rights, Women's Rights, Disability Rights, Indigenous Rights, immigration, sexual liberation, and more.

Cataloging for the Library's Youngest Patrons

The HCL catalogers listened to the requests of the children's librarians. The changes made, such as adding fictional characters and subject headings such as First Day of School and its cross references Going to a New School, were particularly important for the library's youngest patrons!

The incorporation of commonplace phrases helped caregivers and children as they requested books on experiences that are almost universal, such as starting school, going to a new school, the death of a grandparent or pet, a new baby in the family, teasing, and more.

By adding fictional character names to the catalog, it also helped librarians locate appropriate books for children requesting books about specific characters. An example being Obi Wan Kenobi from Star Wars.

Examples of fictional people, places and things can be found in HCB Issue #33 pages 1-3.

Hennepin County Library Bulletin Issue #33, March 4, 1978

LGBTQ+

The HCBs served as a forum for librarians to discuss cataloging topics. The HCB often featured feedback, praise, and criticism from librarians. Beginning with HCB Issue #4, there is ongoing contributions from librarian Michael McConnell regarding language used to describe the LGBTQ+ community. This discourse highlights tensions that existed within the LGBTQ+ community regarding preferred language. Michael has continued to be a prominent voice for the LGBTQ+ community both in and outside the realm of librarianship.

Subject headings that addressed gender and sexuality are found throughout the catalogs. Some issues to check out include:

HCB Issue #20 page 26 features subject headings that address the term homosexuality and homophobia.
HCB Issue #28 page 35 features "Homosexuality and gay liberation: an expansion of the Library of Congress classification schedule" by David Allen White, History, Social Science and General Reference Division, San Antonio (Texas) Public Library.
HCB Issue #30 page 28-30 features "Sexuality: suggested subject headings" from J. McRee Elrod, Head, Cataloguing Divisions, University of British Columbia University [sic] which discusses outdated terminology.
HCB Issue #32 (entire issue) features content related to the replacement of "homosexuality" with "gay." This change reflects the LGBTQ+ community's input which felt "homosexuality" overemphasized sex and neglected the whole of the person. It also reflects the advocacy of the ALA/SRRT Task Force on Gay Liberation.
HCB Issue #34 page 7 features a brief letter from Barbara Gittings of the ALA/SRRT Task Force on Gay Liberation requesting the Library of Congress change their subject headings.

Disability

Frequently featured in the HCBs are subject headings pertaining to medical terminology, disability issues, and disability rights. This is one area that terminology has evolved considerably. Some of the content in the HCBs is outdated by our modern standards.

Some issues to check out include:

HCB Issue #32 introduces the subject heading Handicapism. Research indicates this was a term being used in the late 70s, although in our modern time the term "ableism" is preferred as words related to Handicap and Handicapped are generally less acceptable.
HCB Issue #34 features various subject headings and cross references to Disability, Disability Rights Movement, and other similar terms.
HCB Issue #38 page 27 features "Disability-related subject cataloging: defective, deformed, degenerate, delinquent" from Emmet Davis which concludes, "In other words, thou shalt not handicap people with subject cataloging. Cataloging should be: simple, people-centric, accurate, and human--even if it takes extra effort and thought. In the coming months and years, people who stayed away from libraries because of the way the public reacted to their disabilities will be coming to your library. Have your catalog ready for them. It's a sad situation when public service staff have to continually apologize for subject headings that are archaic or derogatory." Some of the content from this issue later appeared in the book Mainstreaming Library Service for Disabled People.

Indigeneity, Sovereignty, and Decolonization

While Indigeneity has always existed as a lived identity, its articulation as a political and legal category has expanded since the Hennepin County Library Bulletins were published. Nevertheless, the contributors of the the HCBs were aware of the complexity of Indigenous identity—so much so that it was the first topic addressed in HCB Issue #1.

The HCBs acknowledged that naming preferences vary and that no single person can speak for an entire nation. They emphasized that the most authoritative sources of information come from direct communication with Indigenous people themselves. This approach was illustrated in Issue #1 which includes correspondence with Elizabeth Gonier-Mizinokamigok, an Ojibwe educator. Discussion about Indigenous terminology also drew upon resources such as El Nahuatzen (a Hispanic and Native American poetry magazine), the Index to literature on the American Indian, and The Sioux Dictionary.

Around the same time these discussions were taking place, the Brian Deer Classification System was being developed by Brian Deer (Kahnawake Mohawk) in the 1970s.

Discussions on Indigenous identity, naming, and authority appear throughout the HCBs in the following issues:

HCB Issue #1 beginning on page 1

HCB Issue #2 beginning on page 2

HCB Issue #3 beginning on page 3

HCB Issue #18/19 page 3-4

HCB Issue #22 page 29-30

Distribution and Impact

During the years of publication, other libraries subscribed to the HCBs. This was made possible through the power of the Xerox machine!

As you explore issues of the Bulletins, you might notice the cost gradually being adjusted over the years. In 1974, the library began charging a subscription fee -- $5 for institutions, $3 for individuals. Beginning in 1991, the HBS were no longer available by subscription and were limited to only HCL staff. Throughout this time, other libraries took inspiration from HCL to adjust their catalogs. The wide range of distribution encouraged other libraries to think critically about the language we use and confront social change.

Below is an interactive chart showing the 463 subscribers, both institutions and individuals, as of December 22, 1977. While most subscribers were located in the United States and Canada, others were located across the world in areas such as Africa, Australia, and Pakistan.

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