[CASL-L] Cataloging and Race

[Valerie DiLorenzo]

Like a handful of other people on this listserv, I'm currently reading
Jewell's *This Book is Anti-Racist. *As I was reading the Author's Note, I
was wondering where Asians or Asian Americans fit into her groups where she
discusses "Black, Brown, and Indigenous Folx." She answered my question
later in the book when she writes that she categorizes Asians and Asian
Americans as Brown. I have never heard any of my Asian or Asian American
friends, colleagues, and/or students refer to themselves as Brown. I've
also never asked this particular question. I made a connection with
Jewell's book as I've been reading through this thread. All of these
discussions are forcing me to rethink my previous thinking and the terms
I've used in the past. I hope I haven't offended anyone here. I'm just
trying to figure stuff out and learn right along with you.

[image: Rumsey Hall School] <https://www.rumseyhall.org/>

Valerie DiLorenzo | *Library Media Specialist*
RUMSEY HALL SCHOOL | 860.868.0535 x1
<https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#m_-8012110276188521706_/>22
A Tradition of Effort, Family and Community
  <https://www.facebook.com/RumseyHallSchool/>
<https://www.twitter.com/RumseyHall>
<https://www.instagram.com/rumseyhallschool/> <https://vimeo.com/rumseyhall>

Rumsey's Online Library <https://bit.ly/RumseyLibrary>

Listening to:                       Currently Reading:


Recently finished:

  (Images from LibraryThing <https://www.librarything.com/catalog/turbobks>)

"One must live a curious life. One must have stacks & stacks & stacks of
books on the inside of their bodies" Jason Reynolds "Fortifying Imagination
<https://onbeing.org/programs/jason-reynolds-fortifying-imagination/>" in
an episode of On Being with Krista Tippett
  (Images from LibraryThing <https://www.librarything.com/catalog/turbobks>)


On Fri, Jul 31, 2020 at 3:12 PM Elaine Shapiro <elaine.shapiro7 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thank you to everyone who responded.  According to that article, my
> instinct to use "Blacks" was a good one. The particular book I was looking
> at that inspired my post, Seeing into Tomorrow, is actually about African
> American boys, so I used that subject.
> I appreciate the other terms, like diversity, and People of Color, etc,
> but I think it is important (as one of you said) to be specific.
> I want to be able to provide students with "mirrors" to see themselves in
> books, and cataloging books with specific terms enables that.
> I am beginning to see problems with "race" or "diversity", as those terms
> assume "white" as normal or the standard.  Much like the article said about
> Astronauts.
> Lots to consider, and we librarians have some power to make these small
> changes.
>
> Elaine
>
> On Fri, Jul 31, 2020 at 1:47 PM Lynch, Joyce <lynchj at plainvilleschools.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Personally, I think that term may be easily misinterpreted and some may
>> be offended. How about: “People of Color?” I just use an inclusive term:
>> diverse.
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 31, 2020 at 11:18 AM Cheryl Robertson <
>> robertsonc at guilfordschools.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Elaine,
>>> That's a great point.  Might we also add the term "Brown"?  I am eager
>>> to read our colleagues' suggestions.
>>> Respectfully,
>>> Cheryl
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jul 30, 2020 at 10:01 AM Elaine Shapiro <
>>> elaine.shapiro7 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>> I often add subjects to my catalog records in my elementary school
>>>> library.
>>>> For example,  "multicultural" "African American"  "civil rights".  But,
>>>> as I learn more about race, I realize that African American is not an
>>>> accurate term for books about or featuring black people, because not all
>>>> black people in the US are from the US originally. Thoughts on better
>>>> subject terms?  "Blacks" "Black People"?
>>>>
>>>> Thank you
>>>> Elaine
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> CASL-L mailing list
>>>> CASL-L at mylist.net
>>>> https://mylist.net/listinfo/casl-l
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *Cheryl A. Robertson*
>>> *Teacher Librarian*
>>> *Click here for homepage
>>> <http://ams.guilfordschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=232991&type=d>*
>>>
>>> *"Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty.  It
>>> should be offered as a gift." ~Kate DiCamillo*
>>>
>>> *CURRENTLY READING*
>>> *The Girls in the Garden *by Lisa Jewell
>>> *The Night Circus *by Erin Morgenstern
>>> *Caster *by Elsie Chapman
>>> *How To Be an Anti-Racist *by Ibram X. Kendi
>>>
>>> *CURRENTLY LISTENING*
>>> *Frankly in Love* by David Yoon
>>>
>>> *RECENTLY FINISHED*
>>> *28 Summers *by Elin Hilderbrand
>>> *The Best of Us* by Robyn Carr
>>> *Will & Whit *by Laura Lee Gulledge
>>> *After the Shot Drops *by Randy Ribay
>>> *The Little Big Things* by Henry Fraser
>>> *A Heart in a Body in a World* by Deb Caletti
>>> *The House We Grew up In *by Lisa Jewell
>>> *Symptoms of Being Human *by Jeff Garvin
>>> *The Family Upstairs *by Lisa Jewell
>>> *Started too Early, Took My Dog *by Kate Atkinson
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> *******************************************************************
>>> CONFIDENTIAL: This email and any files transmitted with it may contain
>>> information that is confidential and is intended solely for the use of the
>>> individual or entity to whom they are addressed. Be advised that
>>> forwarding, saving, printing, copying, or taking any action on the contents
>>> of this message may be prohibited. If you have received this email in
>>> error, please notify the original sender and delete the message and any
>>> attachments from your computer. Messages to or from the Guilford Public
>>> Schools may be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (Conn. Gen. Stat.
>>> sections 1-200 et seq.)
>>> *******************************************************************
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> CASL-L mailing list
>>> CASL-L at mylist.net
>>> https://mylist.net/listinfo/casl-l
>>>
>> --
>> Joyce Lynch
>> Library Information Teacher
>> Middle School of Plainville
>> 150 Northwest Drive
>> Plainville, CT 06062
>> 860-793-3250
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
> CASL-L mailing list
> CASL-L at mylist.net
> https://mylist.net/listinfo/casl-l
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mylist.net/archives/casl-l/attachments/20200731/faad9f9a/attachment.htm>