91´«Ã½

Resolution on Subject Headings Relating to Class and Poverty

Adopted at 1996 Annual Conference

WHEREAS the 91´«Ã½ in 1990 adopted a "Poor People's Services Policy" that promotes, in part, “the ready accessibility of print and nonprint materja1s that honestly address the issues of poverty and homelessness, that deal with poor people in a respectful way, and that are .of practical use to low-income patrons"; and

WHEREAS that same policy encourages activities and programs "likely to reduce, if not eliminate, poverty itself”, and

WHEREAS Library of Congress subject headings can importantly affect access to vital library resources on hunger, homelessness, and poverty, as well as shaping library users' attitudes toward those topics; and

WHEREAS LC headings currently impede or distort access in much relevant material because of antiquated or insensitive language, coupled with a failure to recognize a host of significant subjects actually represented in library collections;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 1,800-member Social Responsibilities Round Table of the 91´«Ã½ urges the Library of Congress to (a) replace PUBLIC WELFARE and PUBLIC WELFARE ADMINISTRATION with the more familiar forms WELFARE and WELFARE ADMINISTRATION; (b) humanize the current heading POOR by transforming it into POOR PEOPLE; and (c) swiftly establish and assign these warranted and essential headings related to poverty, hunger, homelessness, and social policy:

• CHILD LABOR EXPLOITATION
• CHILDREN OF UNEMPLOYED PARENTS
• CLASSISM
• CLASSISM IN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
• CLASSISM IN CHILDREN
• CLASSISM IN ECONOMIC POLICY
• CLASSISM IN EDUCATION
• CLASSISM IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
• CLASSISM IN INTELLIGENCE TESTS
• CLASSISM IN LAW
• CLASSISM IN LIBRARIANSHIP
• CLASSISM IN LITERATURE
• CLASSISM IN MASS MEDIA
• CLASSISM IN MEDICAL CARE
• CLASSISM IN SOCIAL POLICY
• CLASSISM IN TAXATION
• CLASSISM IN TEXTBOOKS
• CLASSISM IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
• CORPORATE POWER
• CORPORATE WELFARE
• DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
• ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY
• FOOD SHELVES
• GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT
• HOMELESS AFRO-AMERICAN WOMEN
• HOMELESS BOYS
• HOMELESS FAMILIES
• HOMELESS FAMILY SERVICES
• HOMELESS GIRLS
• HOMELESS MENTALLY ILL PERSONS
• HOMELESS MENT ALLY ILL PERSONS' SERVICES
• HOMELESS PEOPLE IN ART
• HOMELESS PEOPLE'S ADVOCATES
• HOMELESS PEOPLE'S ART
• HOMELESS TEENAGERS
• HOMELESSNESS--ACTION PROJECTS
• HUNGER--ACTION PROJECTS
• HUNGER ACTIVISTS
• INTERCLASS FRIENDSHIP
• LOW-INCOME HOUSING
• MARXISM
• NONCLASSIST CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
• POOR AFRO-AMERICAN FAMILIES
• POOR FAMILIES
• POOR PARENTS
• POOR PEOPLE-EMPOWERMENT
• POOR PEOPLE--RIGHTS
• POOR SINGLE MOTHERS
• RIGHT TO SHELTER
• VIOLENCE AGAINST HOMELESS PEOPLE
• VIOLENCE AGAINST POOR PEOPLE
• WELFARE CONSUMERS-RIGHTS
• WORKING POOR PEOPLE