7.4.1 When a record title includes an offensive term supplied by the creator

Consider your audience and the potential for harm when making decisions about whether to preserve problematic creator-supplied language. In most cases, it is best to preserve but contextualize creator-sourced original description when oppression is important context for understanding the records. When encountering an offensive or harmful term, prioritize discoverability over the assumed offense or harm of a term, and its removal, despite discomfort this creates. If you are transcribing offensive or harmful titles, add explanatory note in the Notes field that identifies it is racist, sexist, a caricature, a stereotype, etc. Include contemporary terms in the note so that the item has the potential to be surfaced without the use of the offensive term. Also add finding aid and AtoM revision note (see Section 8: Mechanics)

EXAMPLE

Creator-supplied file title includes the name of a publication which uses a historical and derogatory term for Black individuals.

Removing an offensive term should only happen when there is no impact on the discoverability of the record or the context for understanding the record. If you decide to remove an offensive or harmful term(s), indicate this using square brackets and add an explanatory note in the Dates of creation revision deletion field:

EXAMPLE

Edits made to the file title to remove a racist slur describing Indigenous women. The racist slur has been replaced with [racist slur]. The original titles and harmful language remain on the physical item.

Whether retaining or removing a term, provide current terminology using square brackets within the title or the scope and content field. This allows for common keyword searching using terms that are not offensive while also retaining accuracy and the context of the original record.

EXAMPLE

This interview includes use of the historical term ‘Oriental’ to denote Near and Middle Eastern civilizations and cultures.1

In some cases, a community may be reclaiming certain terms, deemed offensive in other contexts. If this is the case, add a note:

EXAMPLE

This term “Indian” is maintained to provide historical information about the preferred language used by this community at this time.

Keep in mind of the field weighting in AtoM when determining the best placement for additional keywords, warnings or context:

  • *10x weight: Title

  • *6x weight: Creator

  • *5x weight: Identifier, Subject access point, Scope and content

  • 3x weight: Name access point, Place access point

Endnotes

  1. Winnett, Frederick Victor (oral history), Library Oral History Programme Collection, B1980-0016. https://discoverarchives.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/winnett-frederick-victor-oral-history ↩