Harmful Language and Content Statement: Home

Acknowledgment of harmful language and content, in library collections material and descriptions of it: 

As a research center dedicated to the study and understanding of American material culture, a key part of Winterthur Library’s mission is the preservation of cultural heritage materials. Library collections of rare print, manuscript, and archival material document the lives and work of many diverse people and groups, across time and place. The library is committed to respectful, ethical stewardship of its collections. As part of that commitment, Winterthur Library acknowledges the presence of harmful language and content in some collections material and in some descriptions of it.   

Library users may encounter harmful content in the form of words, images, or objects. It may appear in collections material itself, or in descriptions and subject headings which use inaccurate, biased, or oppressive language.  

The presence of harmful beliefs, language, or imagery in library collections and descriptions is not an endorsement of them. Instances of harmful content in collections material are preserved as part of the historical record, in order to support research, exhibitions, and programs which convey the fullness of our histories accurately, justly, and meaningfully. Library staff are mindful of the need for ethical practice in describing these and all collection materials, and work to balance the documentation of difficult content with sensitivity regarding how it can be experienced or perceived. As part of this work, Winterthur Library staff participate in ongoing efforts to identify and repair library descriptions containing harmful content, about which you can read more below.  

What is harmful language and content?  

Harmful language and content can be disturbing or offensive. It can express racist, sexist, ableist, transphobic, queerphobic, misogynistic/misogynoir, xenophobic, and other forms of bias whether individual or systemic. Harmful language and content in libraries and special collections can perpetuate misrepresentations, cause invisibility and erasure, trivialize people’s lived experiences, reinscribe oppression, and compromise access to collections.   

Where does this language and content come from—why is it present in materials, catalog records, and finding aids? 

Some harmful content is present in collections material itself. This content may be in the form of original language or images on an item, or in the form of language or images added to it by, for example, creators or former owners. In both cases, documenting this content allows us to preserve important historical context or other historical information, which at times includes harmful beliefs, attitudes, biases, and prejudices.  

Some harmful content may also be present in descriptions, subject headings, or other standardized language used by the library to enhance access to its collections, including Library of Congress Subject Headings. The language and terms used are not neutral; rather, much like some harmful content appearing in collections material, many reflect the historical biases and prejudices of their creators. We perform ongoing work to identify and repair harmful language in descriptions and subject headings where possible, and to provide alternative subject headings in cases where appropriate, accurate terms are otherwise lacking.  

What is the library doing to address the presence of harmful language and content in its catalog and finding aids, and to ensure that descriptions are equitable, inclusive, and accurate? 

This statement is just one step in a larger, ongoing effort toward commitment to social justice in the library’s policies and practices, which includes: 

• Defining potential harmful content, identifying where it may be present in collections and descriptions, and correcting and/or contextualizing it when and where discovered.
• Maintaining ongoing, conscious commitment to critical cataloging and iterative processing, including:  
  • Adding notes to descriptions which alert users to the presence of harmful content 
  • Attributing sources and elaborating context for harmful content in collections material 
  • Prioritizing accuracy and inclusivity in all descriptive language 
  • Using alternative subject headings in cases where accurate, appropriate terms are lacking from dominant vocabularies 
  • Inviting feedback and dialog from the people and groups represented in and by library collections material, and from library users 

How can I contact the library to report the presence of problematic and harmful content, or to give other feedback on descriptions?  

The Winterthur Library acknowledges that our efforts to address harmful and problematic language and content across our collections are iterative and ongoing. We welcome and encourage feedback on this process. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at reference@winterthur.org to: 

• Report harmful or problematic language or content found in our catalog records, finding aids, descriptive metadata, or digital collections 
• Ask questions about why the library collects or makes accessible such content, or about how we address harmful language and content

• Share any additional feedback you may have about your experience with these materials