Diversity, Inclusion & Access

Arthur Lakes Library is committed to describing library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in our collections. However, for a variety of reasons, you may encounter harmful language in our catalog: 

• Catalog records may contain outdated, inaccurate language that was acceptable historically to some people with the power to set norms yet is recognized as widely offensive today. This is reflected in older catalog records and from the library materials themselves.  
• In accordance with standard library practices, we transcribe certain information directly from materials; harmful words are not censored because this content provides historical context for understanding the era, attitudes, and opinions of their creators.  
• In addition to the records created by library staff, we use collaboratively created catalog records and records provided by vendors. This allows us to organize and provide access to a substantial number of resources.  
• We use shared national description standards that contain offensive terminology. While we continue to work within these systems, we are also working to change them, and we are working diligently to update the language in our catalog.  

Updating catalog records is an ongoing process, and we know that we may not always get it right, so if you encounter harmful language, please fill out our feedback form. 

This statement was adapted from those of Princeton University Library, University of Texas at Austin Libraries, and University of Maryland Libraries. Created: 2023-12-13.