thesis of interest : Metadata as Resistance

[Evyn Kropf]

fyi 

Beler, Katherine Knox and Malin Färdig. Metadata as Resistance A case study on Language, Power, and the Cataloging of Palestinian Cultural Heritage. Master's Thesis in Library and Information Science, University of Borås, 2025  

https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-34083

Abstract: "The cataloging and classification of cultural heritage materials are not neutral processes, they shape historical narratives, collective memory, and access to knowledge. This study investigates how librarians and archivists navigate and contest dominant classification systems, with a focus on the cataloging of Palestinian cultural heritage. Using the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) as a central case, the research identifies key structural limitations in representing Palestinian identity, displacement, and political struggle, revealing how cataloging systems often reflect institutional and geopolitical biases. Grounded in feminist and decolonial theory, and drawing on critical cataloging literature, the study uses a case study approach centered on a semistructured interview with a practicing librarian, annotated cataloging documents, and supporting materials from the Middle East Librarians Association (MELA). The analysis explores how information professionals challenge erasure through local vocabularies, community-informed metadata, and ethically grounded practices. It also considers how cataloging can serve as a form of resistance and care within conditions of occupation and exile. The findings demonstrate that classification systems are sites of both epistemic violence and professional agency. They highlight how catalogers can intervene in dominant infrastructures to make marginalized histories visible and retrievable. By analyzing these practices in the context of Palestine, this research contributes to broader conversations about decolonizing knowledge organization and reimagining classification as a political, ethical, and community-centered endeavor."