The Power to Name: Locating the Limits of Subject Representation in Libraries

by Hope A. Olson

In this preface I will include explanations of three factors: the intended audience of this book, the structure of the book, and the acknowledgement of many who contributed to its fruition. The Power to Name is intended for two audiences: those interested in knowledge organization and those interested in theoretical study of representation. These two groups come from the perspective of the structure and principles of organization and from the perspective of understanding the cultural ramifications of naming. The first may be those who develop subject representation schemes for a wide range of purposes and those who apply those schemes. They may be librarians, information scientists, web developers or knowledge managers. The second group are likely to be feminist, poststructural and postcolonial theorists who explore the construction of meaning. It is my hope that both of these audiences will find the case of subject representation in library catalogues illuminating in a much wider sense. I have tried to include a modicum of explanation for each audience while avoiding over-explanation for either. This approach will require some patience and some close reading from each? The intellectual structure of the book is introduced in the first chapter. However, in a book on organization of knowledge and information it is important to also explain its internal syndetic structure. I have used some somewhat unconventional approaches. The book contains a fair number of 'manual hyperlinks' - references to earlier discussions of a topic in the form of "see also page . . . " referrals.

Genres: Nonfiction, Academic, Library Science, Librarianship

271 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2002

Reviews

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this book is a companion piece to Sanford Berman's Prejudices and Antipathies.  While Berman takes a somewhat snarky, though well-cited stance against many LCSH headings, Olson really digs into the history of these two organization systems to see how their foundation has created a less-than-inclusive organization system today (as of 2002).  Of course, this book is now a little bit dated (17 years!), it still holds a LOT of useful information, especially in regards to how racism and classism are constructed in organization systems such as DDC (constructing a call number) or how creating LCSH headings may or may not mean that specific books are recalled in a search.  

She offers many quotations from Cutter and Dewey, and suggest that they believe that "any" person should be able to follow their line of thinking, and a person who is not able to just somehow remember everything off the top of their head is a person who just clearly doesn't care--as though their systems aren't confusing!  Cutter and Dewey definitely has some biases that show in their organizational systems--that are of course, supposed to be objective and without bias.  

Olson is just an incredible author that just pinpoints spot-on what is lacking in these systems and how cataloger bias can affect a resource's recall.  Overall, this is a must-read if you're thinking about becoming a cataloger, or if you're a librarian interested in social justice.  I'd consider this a keystone text, and it is well worth your time!

Review cross-listed here!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The potential is there, both technically and conceptually, to open the boundaries of our systems. It requires only the ingenuity to develop it and the freedom to apply it. The ingenuity is fostered by a holistic view of the cataloguing process - remembering that technology includes political and social factors as well as technical systems. The freedom comes from a vernacular reality free from imposed constructed realities. That is far more challenging." (p. 236)

Foundational text of critical cataloging that remains relevant in spite of new developments in the profession. I ran out of time to read the entire book before it was recalled, but found valuable critical perspectives to draw from the sections I was able to cover.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really well thought out book that is unfortunately just as relevant today as the day it was written. Unlike Berman's Prejudices and Antipathies, most of the concerns that Hope Olson brings up have not yet been addressed by the Library of Congress. In large part this is because she does not critique individual subject headings as much as the structure that they exist within...a much more systemic issue that would take significant change to remedy.
Given all the research that Olson does into other fields for this book, I find it really interesting that she never uses the word "intersectionality", which had been coined by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989, years before this book was written.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic in cataloging literature, Olson uses a feminist perspective to critique foundational texts and standards in the profession. She closely reads Cutter and Dewey, looking at their shortcomings: the construction of a universal language, hierarchical relationships, and in Cutter's case the singular public. She then uses examples cataloged by LC to illustrate her points, showing how the systems alienate topics considered to be "other" to specific areas or, conversely, how these subjects are dispersed through the use of classification. Either way, it limits retrieval of those resources.

However, it is a little dated. I'm sure that there are new technologies and theories that could apply to Olson's argument today.

[Eric Phetteplace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would've liked this more in library school or earlier in my career. The close readings of Dewey and Cutter were interesting. But the problems of universal categorization are familiar to me by now and the book has a lot of redundancy. The OED definition interjections were distracting. Praxis only comes up in the final chapter, which is the shortest and still quite theoretical, vague. As an intro to critical cataloging this could be good, though.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruthless, dryly sarcastic academic takedowns of misogyny and racism are my new favorite thing.

[Travis Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still love this book, it is such a needed and realized critique of information organization. Though on this second reading, I do wonder about Olson's need to go on a very, very poststructuralist route, it is a bit alienating to the more common reader and while feminist in orientation, is achieved through the brilliance of the other chapters.

[Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing short of profound. (Also incredibly academic and moderately boring throughout.)

Olson's examination of LCSH and DDC numbers for systematic bias remains seminal; if you're interested in social justice and libraries, you should give this a shot.

[amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review here: http://hacklibraryschool.com/2015/12/...

Can safely discount starred reviews as the best medium for what I have to say about it.