The Hennepin County Library (HCL) catalog was groundbreaking in its use of inclusive language and descriptions, often serving as an alternative to the racist, sexist, homophobic, and outdated vocabulary used by the Library of Congress, the leading authority on cataloging. From 1973 to 1999, Head Cataloger Sandy Berman and his team created these records and documented their updates via the HCL Cataloging Bulletin (HCB). They considered it a work of creativity and necessity. 

Unfortunately, in the 1990s, the bibliographic and authority records created by the HCL team were removed and replaced by standard records, thus destroying all their work. Although the records were archived, they were rendered inaccessible until recently. Retired St. Kate's professor David Lesniaski created a replica of the original catalog using KOHA, an open-source online library system, and presented that project at the Minnesota Library Association Annual Conference in 2023.

Despite the disappearance of the HCL records, many in the library profession are familiar with Berman and his pursuit of more relevant, veridical cataloging. However, Berman’s efforts were not singular. What is missing are the stories, perspectives, and histories of Berman’s HCL colleagues who significantly contributed to the HCL catalog. 

These materials offer a glimpse into those stories. It also provides the opportunity for multidisciplinary research beyond the realm of librarianship. The HCBs present a cultural history that amplifies the voices of the marginalized, depicts the concerns of the disenfranchised, and showcases societal changes.

Recognizing the invaluable work of the HCL cataloging team, three St. Kate's MLIS graduate students--Amy Gabbert-Montag, Charlotte Kadifa, and Jaylene Telford--began conducting in-depth interviews with those catalogers and digitizing the HCL Cataloging Bulletins.

This site is an introduction to Voices of the Catalog--A Digital & Oral History of Hennepin County Catalogers (VOTC). On this site, you will find:

• About page describing the process of digitization and conducting oral histories

• Participants page dedicated to the staff of HCL who have participated in VOTC

• Highlights page with notable aspects of the HCBs such as topics discussed 

• Resource page for those interested in the power of language, cataloging, and learning more

• Dedication page highlighting the many people who made this project possible

Harmful Language Disclaimer

When exploring the Bulletins, you may find language that today we consider to be harmful and discriminatory. The Bulletins were products of their time and dependent on the language available to the catalogers. We have not censored, eliminated, or removed any harmful words from the Bulletins or supplementary materials, as changing the language would alter the history represented.

Adapted from the University of Maryland University Library's Statement of harmful language in catalog records and New York State Archives' Statement on Harmful Language in New York State Archives Description Resources.