Abstracts
Abstract
How has the evolution of both library classification and the critical classification field affected the legacy and relevance of one of its most celebrated works? Sanford Berman’s 1971 monograph Prejudices and Antipathies: A Tract on the LC Subject Heads Concerning People, while being by no means the first to critically assess the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), gained significant interest (both positive and negative) from the cataloguing community. Steven A. Knowlton’s 2005 follow-up article Three Decades Since Prejudices and Antipathies: A Study of Changes in the Library of Congress Subject Headings examined the impact of Berman’s book on the LCSH.
In 2025, this paper returns to Berman’s book to follow up on both works. Through an analysis of trends across published critical classification literature of the past five decades—in particular in relation to the approach taken by the book to criticism of the Library of Congress and LCSH in comparison to other topics—this paper examines how the landscape of critical classification has changed and, through that, how perceived obstacles and goals have shifted in the half century since the publication of Berman’s book, in order to examine its place and legacy.
Keywords:
- critical librarianship,
- cataloguing,
- library history
Résumé
Comment l'évolution de la classification bibliographique et du domaine de la classification critique a-t-elle affecté l'héritage et la pertinence de l'un de ses ouvrages les plus célèbres ? La monographie de Sanford Berman intitulée Prejudices and Antipathies: A Tract on the LC Subject Heads Concerning People, publiée en 1971, n'était certes pas la première à évaluer de manière critique les vedettes-matières de la Bibliothèque du Congrès (LCSH), mais elle a suscité un intérêt considérable (tant positif que négatif) de la part de la communauté des catalogueurs. En 2005, Steven A. Knowlton a examiné l'impact du livre de Berman sur les LCSH avec son article Three Decades Since Prejudices and Antipathies: A Study of Changes in the Library of Congress Subject Headings.
En 2025, cet article revient sur le livre de Berman pour faire le point sur ces deux publications. En examinant les tendances émergentes dans la recherche critique sur la classification au fil des cinq dernières décennies, et en mettant l’accent sur l’approche de Berman pour critiquer la Bibliothèque du Congrès et les termes LCSH par rapport à d’autres sujets, cet article explore l’évolution du paysage de la classification critique. Il examine comment les défis et les objectifs perçus ont évolué depuis la publication du livre de Berman, tout en évaluant sa pertinence et son héritage.
Mots-clés :
- bibliothéconomie critique,
- catalogage,
- histoire des bibliothèques
Appendices
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