Anti-Racist Statement
The Getty Research Institute is committed to addressing biased language, distortion, and the erasure of marginalized individuals and communities in the descriptions of our collections.
Archival and bibliographic description is not neutral, and neither are librarians and archivists. While we strive to describe collection materials and their creators respectfully, accurately, and with care for the communities who use and are represented in them, we recognize that we may not always initially succeed in this endeavor. The library and archives staff of the Getty Research Institute is dedicated to critically examining descriptive practices and to using appropriate, inclusive, and respectful language. As remediation, we have initiated a collaborative, iterative project to identify areas for improvement in our descriptive practices. Our primary goals in undertaking this project are to disrupt, discontinue, and atone for the histories of oppression present within the art historical and American library and archival traditions.
We also recognize that the archival materials held by the Getty Research Institute may contain historic language and images that are considered offensive. Despite the pain it might cause, it is important to retain and acknowledge the original biases and power imbalances inherent in our collections, as well as to respect the self-identifications of their creators and subjects.
The Anti-Racist Description Working Group for GRI Archives and Special Formats was formed in July 2020 to address and rectify biased language, distortion, and the erasure of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) lives and other marginalized identities in the descriptions of archives and special formats held by the Getty Research Institute. Archives and special formats in this context refers to archival collections and rare and unique materials in a variety of formats, including analog prints, photographs, audiovisual recordings, three-dimensional objects, and digital materials— both digitized and born-digital. An audit of existing descriptions in our finding aids and catalog records is currently underway to identify, correct, or contextualize problematic language. Once the audit of legacy description has been completed, the working group will analyze local descriptive guidelines and procedures and recommend areas for improvement.
Library Technical Services staff formed the Anti-Racist Description Working Group for Published Materials to address and rectify biased language, distortion, and the erasure of BIPOC lives in the descriptions of published materials cataloged by Technical Services. Published materials in this context refers to monographs, serials, electronic resources, and commercially-produced audio and video recordings. With a focus on current policies and procedures in Library Technical Services, the Working Group will make recommendations to change harmful language in the library's catalog and promote unbiased subject analyses and description practices moving forward.
We acknowledge this will be a long and iterative process that will require us to periodically revisit and review our policies, practices, and descriptions. Throughout this process we strive to be transparent by maintaining a record of our changes to finding aids (available to researchers on request) and sharing our anti-racist work and documentation with the broader community.
Please contact us at reference@getty.edu if you encounter harmful or offensive language or content in catalog records, finding aids, digitized materials, or elsewhere on our library pages.
With gratitude to sources consulted, including:
GRI Anti-Racist Description Working Group Charter
Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia Anti-Racist Description Working Group. "Anti-Racist Description Resources." Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia, October 2019, https://archivesforblacklives.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/ardr_final.pdf
"Collection Offensive Language Policy," on the Presbyterian Historical Society's website, accessed October 26, 2020, https://digital.history.pcusa.org/dig_collection_offensive_lang_policy
"Harmful Language in Finding Aids," on Rose Library's website, accessed October 26, 2020, https://rose.library.emory.edu/about/harmful-language.html
"SCRC Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Archival Description and Cataloging," on Temple Library's website, accessed October 26, 2020, https://library.temple.edu/policies/scrc-statement-on-potentially-harmful-language-in-archival-description-and-cataloging
"Stanford Special Collections and University Archives Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Cataloging and Archival Description," on Stanford Library's website, accessed October 26, 2020, https://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-our-collections/stanford-special-collections-and-university-archives-statement-potentially
Additional Resources:
GRI Anti-Racist Description Group Bibliography
Archival and bibliographic description is not neutral, and neither are librarians and archivists. While we strive to describe collection materials and their creators respectfully, accurately, and with care for the communities who use and are represented in them, we recognize that we may not always initially succeed in this endeavor. The library and archives staff of the Getty Research Institute is dedicated to critically examining descriptive practices and to using appropriate, inclusive, and respectful language. As remediation, we have initiated a collaborative, iterative project to identify areas for improvement in our descriptive practices. Our primary goals in undertaking this project are to disrupt, discontinue, and atone for the histories of oppression present within the art historical and American library and archival traditions.
We also recognize that the archival materials held by the Getty Research Institute may contain historic language and images that are considered offensive. Despite the pain it might cause, it is important to retain and acknowledge the original biases and power imbalances inherent in our collections, as well as to respect the self-identifications of their creators and subjects.
The Anti-Racist Description Working Group for GRI Archives and Special Formats was formed in July 2020 to address and rectify biased language, distortion, and the erasure of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) lives and other marginalized identities in the descriptions of archives and special formats held by the Getty Research Institute. Archives and special formats in this context refers to archival collections and rare and unique materials in a variety of formats, including analog prints, photographs, audiovisual recordings, three-dimensional objects, and digital materials— both digitized and born-digital. An audit of existing descriptions in our finding aids and catalog records is currently underway to identify, correct, or contextualize problematic language. Once the audit of legacy description has been completed, the working group will analyze local descriptive guidelines and procedures and recommend areas for improvement.
Library Technical Services staff formed the Anti-Racist Description Working Group for Published Materials to address and rectify biased language, distortion, and the erasure of BIPOC lives in the descriptions of published materials cataloged by Technical Services. Published materials in this context refers to monographs, serials, electronic resources, and commercially-produced audio and video recordings. With a focus on current policies and procedures in Library Technical Services, the Working Group will make recommendations to change harmful language in the library's catalog and promote unbiased subject analyses and description practices moving forward.
We acknowledge this will be a long and iterative process that will require us to periodically revisit and review our policies, practices, and descriptions. Throughout this process we strive to be transparent by maintaining a record of our changes to finding aids (available to researchers on request) and sharing our anti-racist work and documentation with the broader community.
Please contact us at reference@getty.edu if you encounter harmful or offensive language or content in catalog records, finding aids, digitized materials, or elsewhere on our library pages.
With gratitude to sources consulted, including:
GRI Anti-Racist Description Working Group Charter
Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia Anti-Racist Description Working Group. "Anti-Racist Description Resources." Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia, October 2019, https://archivesforblacklives.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/ardr_final.pdf
"Collection Offensive Language Policy," on the Presbyterian Historical Society's website, accessed October 26, 2020, https://digital.history.pcusa.org/dig_collection_offensive_lang_policy
"Harmful Language in Finding Aids," on Rose Library's website, accessed October 26, 2020, https://rose.library.emory.edu/about/harmful-language.html
"SCRC Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Archival Description and Cataloging," on Temple Library's website, accessed October 26, 2020, https://library.temple.edu/policies/scrc-statement-on-potentially-harmful-language-in-archival-description-and-cataloging
"Stanford Special Collections and University Archives Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in Cataloging and Archival Description," on Stanford Library's website, accessed October 26, 2020, https://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-our-collections/stanford-special-collections-and-university-archives-statement-potentially
Additional Resources:
GRI Anti-Racist Description Group Bibliography
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