So why is this important? A library's catalog is the first point of contact for everything in a library. You either search the catalog from your home PC or use one of the library's computers to search the catalog, or you ask a librarian for information, and she or he will search the catalog for you.
In the 1970s Mitch Freedman who was the head of Technical Services at the Hennepin County Library hired Sanford Berman. Sanford Berman is a progressive, innovative, visionary librarian who knew that the biased, outdated, and white middle class perspective of the Library of Congress subject headings had to be challenged and had to be changed. The Library of Congress Subject headings were written in the 19th century. Though they are still widely used in many library catalogs they have not kept pace with the changes in society or in technology. Search for information using the Minneapolis Public Library Catalog which uses the Library of Congress Subject Headings and then search for information using the Hennepin County Library catalog. You will notice a remarkable difference. Here are a few examples of subjects that Sanford Berman's Hennepin County Library catalog uses: Working Poor People Homeless Families Employee Work Monitoring Women's Movement Family Planning Gay & Lesbian Rights Black History Month Lobbying Corporate Welfare Cyberculture Business Plans Homeless Teenagers NONE of these headings are in a Library of Congress catalog. Charles Brown's decision to remove Sanford Berman's subjects from the existing Hennepin County Library Catalog and to replace it with the Library of Congress Subject headings is censorship. Most troubling of all is that this decision is yet another example of the attitude held by the Hennepin County Library Administration, that they are not a publicly funded institution accountable to the public. This decision was made and announced without consulting or surveying the public. A Library Board meeting held shortly after the replacement of the existing catalog was announced was changed from a public meeting to a private retreat for board members and an assistant Hennepin County Attorney. Though 10 observers were permitted to attend, a statement was made that, "no public comments will be allowed." A group of concerned citizens and librarians are working together to save a copy of the current Hennepin County Library catalog and hope to make it accessible to everyone on the web. We also need to speak out against the decision to replace the catalog because by doing this, the library is failing in the most essential mission a library has: To Provide Information to the Public. We hope you will join us in expressing your concerns to: Charles Brown, Director Hennepin County Library 12601 Ridgedale Drive Minnetonka MN 55305 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 952-847-8580 Carol Walsh, President Hennepin County Library Board 4320 Highway 7, #1 St. Louis Park MN 55416 952-920-3473 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hennepin County Library Board members: http://www.hclib.org/pub/info/board_membership.cfm Richard P. Johnson Deputy County Administrator A-2303 Hennepin County Government Center 300 South 6th Street Minneapolis MN 55487 612-348-4447 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Maurice (Mitch) J. Freedman, MLS, PhD ALA President-Elect www.mjfreedman.org; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Director, Westchester (NY) Library System 410 Saw Mill River Road Ardsley, NY 10502 www.westchesterlibraries.org Voice: 914-674-3600 x223; Fax: 914-674-4193 Sandy Berman 4400 Morningside Road Edina MN 55416 952-925-5738 Hennepin County Library Catalog http://www.hclib.org/pub/search/search_the_catalog.cfm The Sanford Berman Website: http://web.library.uiuc.edu/ahx/ead/ala/9701040a/berman/sanford.htm Copies of the HCL Press release and Berman's response are on the website. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
