Metadata is a foundational element of many digital projects, from tagging posts on a blog, to categorizing resources, to describing archival materials. Metadata is the information that describes the data or content that comprise our digital projects – and it plays a powerful role in the shaping of our project’s outcomes, such as how content is discovered, interpreted, and shared. In a previous Tagging the Tower blog post, I discussed how metadata reflects both the biases of the creators of widely used metadata standards (such as the Library of Congress), as well as the biases of individuals as they apply metadata in their projects. If you use a digital tool like our library catalog, it’s important to be aware of how these biases influence your ability to find resources. And if you are embarking on creating your own digital project, it is important to thoughtfully work towards creating transparent and ethical metadata for the resources you are describing. Fortunately, information workers – such as librarians, archivists, curators, and catalogers – have developed lots of resources that can guide us through the process of creating ethical metadata and descriptive language.

 

Controlled Vocabularies, Taxonomies, and Name Authority Files

Controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, and name authority files are lists of terms and names that are maintained by information workers and institutions. Using a controlled vocabulary ensures that different people are describing similar materials, people, and organizations in the same way. For instance, two people working in an image database might tag different photos of the Graduate Center as “CUNY Graduate Center” or “Grad Center”. This would create two different tags, and thus the photos wouldn’t be related to each other in the database. A controlled vocabulary would instruct these two different people to use a consistent term, perhaps “Graduate Center, CUNY.” Using a controlled vocabulary allows groups of people to create consistent descriptions across projects and institutions, which in turns facilitates collaboration and enhances discoverability.

It’s also important to use terminology that reflects the self-identification and wishes of the people and communities being described. In many cases, information workers and activists work closely with communities to develop lists of appropriate terms to include in a controlled vocabulary or taxonomy. The resources listed below have been developed collaboratively, and thus reflect community wishes for terminology and naming practices.

• • Densho Terminology This is a very brief guide to terminology for describing the incarceration of Japanese Americans in the United States during the 1940s. This guide was developed by Densho, an organization which preserves and shares the history of Japanese American incarceration to promote equity and justice today. Additional suggested terminology, developed by Yale University, can be found here.

• • First National, Métis, and Inuit Indigenous Ontology Community names pertaining to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Indigenous communities in Canada. This ontology was developed by the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance and the Canadian Federation of Library Association’s Indigenous Matters Committee.

• • The Homosaurus is a vocabulary of LGBTQ terms, which can function as a companion to the Library of Congress Subject Headings. The Homosaurus is currently being translated into Spanish (learn more here). Originally developed in 1997, the vocabulary is now maintained by an Editorial Board of information workers focusing on gender and sexuality.

• • Tribal Name Authority Files Published by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, this site contains over 500 profiles and confirmed names of Tribal Nations in the United States.

 

Descriptive Guidelines

Information workers have also developed narrative toolkits or training modules to guide metadata creators through the ethical decisions they may encounter in their work. Each of the resources listed below results from a multi-year collaborative and consultative process to create guidelines and best practices for creating metadata or descriptions of community materials. These resources have important insights and suggestions applicable to people creating metadata and descriptions outside of the archival field.

Archives for Black Lives Anti-Racist Descriptive Resources

Originally released in 2017, and updated in 2020, this guide was created by archivists as a set of recommended best practices for an anti-oppressive approach to creating and editing archival description. This includes both suggestions for addressing harmful or racist language in existing description, descriptions of materials pertaining to slavery, and navigating the limitations of Library of Congress Subject Headings. The resource also includes a substantial annotated bibliography of additional resources.

Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources

First published in 2022, and most recently updated in late 2023, this guide results from the work of dozens of contributors to describe, catalog, and classify resources about trans and gender diverse people. This guide includes substantial information on navigating Library of Congress Subject Headings, as well as naming individuals.

Protocols for Native American Archival Materials

Originally developed in 2006, the Protocols outline professional best practices for the care and use of Native American Indigenous materials. The Protocols recognize the importance of consultation, recognition, and special treatment of some materials, revisions to traditional archival practice regarding accessibility, use, and copyright, and the significance of community-based research practices. These Protocols were endorsed by the Society of American Archivists (the primarily professional association for archivists in the United States) in 2018, after a delay of more than a decade. This resource also includes a brief glossy and bibliography of relevant publications.

For more information, including additional resources and further reading, please check out the Inclusive Metadata Toolkit, which was published by the Digital Library Federation’s Cultural Assessment Working Group in 2024.

You can learn more about metadata and ethical description practices at this semester’s Digital Fellows workshop “Data About Data: Best Practices for Metadata” on Monday, March 24th from noon to 2 pm. Register for the workshop here.