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Reparative Description at Art Institute of Chicago Research Center: Searching for LGBTQ+ Terms

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The Library of Congress Subject Headings is the primary controlled vocabulary we use to organize our records. The main research library for the United States Congress, the Library of Congress is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its centralized status means cataloging decisions made in the Library of Congress are often replicated in libraries across the country, which provides the benefit of consistency in cataloging for the 17,000 and counting libraries in the U.S.

You can search subject headings utilizing the advanced search feature in Primo. Change the “Search Filters” field to “Subject,” then change the “contains” field to “contains exact phrase”, then enter your preferred subject heading.

A screenshot from the library's website of the advanced search options. The search filter has been set to "Subject". There are other fields for customizing the search, like material date and language.

Here are some subject headings that appear frequently in our collection: 

  • Gender identity 

  • Homosexuality and art

  • Lesbian culture

  • Queer theory

  • Drag balls

Some of the terms used in the Library of Congress Subject Heading controlled vocabulary may be outdated or offensive, or reinforce bigoted ideas and assumptions about individuals and groups of people that may be at odds with the way a person identifies–and the intentions of a researcher. We keep them in a historical context, with respect to the folks who self-identified using these terms in their time. We acknowledge that language is an ever-shifting beast and acknowledge that those who used this language for themselves were not often represented in positions of power, clerical or otherwise. The Library of Congress subject headings provide one way to seek out records in Primo; we are working on reparative description within our own library.

A broader search involves the use of keywords. A keyword is used to search across all parts of the metadata for a record, including title and summary. The most familiar and accessible of searches, keyword searches are best performed using the basic search bar, located at the top of our catalog. 

A screenshot of the catalog's basic search bar. The search bar is white against a red background. Below the search bar are options to customize the search. Above the search bar are links leading to different parts of the catalog, including the databases, a browse search, a journal search, a newspaper search, and an option for quick finding.

Some subject headings can be searched like keywords using this method.

Some examples of keywords include:

  • Queer history

  • Art activism

  • AIDS history in art

  • Gay artists