lower east side librarian

I have to admit I'm getting a little sick of this game and also I'm becoming increasingly demoralized about the efficacy of subject headings, even if we could convince the Library of Congress to fucking acknowledge BUTCHES and FEMMES, the FAT ACCEPTANCE MOVEMENT, SEX WORKERS, FREEGANISM, and, for the love of dog, FOLKSONOMY. (See a larger list of Sandy Berman's suggestions if you don't already get the idea.)

But for some reason I can't let go, so here I give you a three for one on LCSH Watch!

Week 1, January 6, 2010, Week 2, January 13, 2010, and Week 3, January 20, 2010:

Anti-copyright movement
Condom use—Religious aspects
Corn mummies

Cultural intelligence
D.C. hand dance
Enemies

Feminism on television
Handball players
Happy hours
Jewish transgender people
Lesbian photographers
Mind and body in motion pictures
Orphan works (Copyright)
Pink in art
Stupidity in art
Uncanny, The (Psychoanalysis)
Work life balance

Among Sandy Berman's latest recommendations to the Library of Congress Subject Authority Cooperative is CYBERCHONDRIA.

October 6 will be Sandy Berman's 76th birthday. To celebrate and to thank him for everything he's done so far, you might want to consider sending him a birthday card, like a lot of people did last year.

Send cards in the mail to:
4400 Morningside Rd.
Edina, MN
55416-5043

My Radical Reference bud James Jacobs was good enough to post Sandy Berman's latest Personal LCSH Scorecard (meaning subject heading's he has proposed to the Library of Congress) to the Rad Ref site. The first part of the scorecard identifies headings that LC has adopted, and the second part lists headings yet to be accepted. I thought I'd second my favorites from the latter list...

Sandy Berman sent me this news service article about the decline of the US Postal Service printed from his local paper. I agree with it when it comes to the USPS, but also think you could substitute the word "library" for "post office" and have it be equally true.

In a letter dated June 2, 2009, Sandy Berman writes to Eric Holder, Attorney-General:

"I'm hardly an expert on international law.
"Just a retired librarian.
"But since Nuremberg, isn't 'following orders'
inadmissible as a defense against charges of
committing torture, atrocities, and war crimes?

"With warmest regards,
"Sanford Berman"

In a letter to the Cataloging Policy & Support Office dated April 30, 2009, Sandy Berman recommended that the following headings be added to the record for The Lorax:

ECO-POETRY
INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION--POETRY
GREED--POETRY
GROWTH (ECONOMICS)--POETRY
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION--POETRY
UNNECESSARY THINGS--POETRY

Sandy Berman is calling for the Library of Congress to establish a subject heading for SEX-POSITIVE FEMINISM. He cites the an interview Celeste West did with Joani Blank and Annie Sprinkle's Wikipedia entry, and other women sex writers as warrant.

LCSH Weekly Lists 2, 3, and 4

Where the Library of Congress acknowledges WATERBOARDING as a Narrower Term for TORTURE, and also welcomes COOKERY (QUINOA), DEFLORATION, JEWISH PIRATES, and other new subject headings to the catalog.

I second Sandy Berman's December 17, 2008 letter to the Cataloging Policy & Support Office suggesting LIBRARY CATS as a subject heading. He cites an AP review of Dewey, the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter (which I notice, btw is available in Polish!) as warrant.