Sanford Berman

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Sanford Berman (born October 6, 1933) is a librarian (specialized, cataloger). He is known for radicalism, promotes an alternative viewpoint in librarianship, and acts as a proactive information channel for other librarians around the world. Vehicle influences include public speaking, massive correspondence, and unsolicited "care packages" submitted via the US Postal Service. Will Manley, a columnist for the American Library Association (ALA) publication, American Library, praised Bernman: "He makes you proud to be a librarian."

Video Sanford Berman

Biography

Berman was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he earned a BA in Political Science with children in Sociology, Anthropology, and England, and where he was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After acquiring MS in Library Science from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., Berman began working as a librarian. He worked for the US Army Special Service Library, West Germany (1962-1966) where he helped edit the underground GI magazine entitled, 'Yin/Yang', Schiller College, Kleiningersheim, West Germany (1966-1967); University of California at the Los Angeles Research Library (1967-1968), where he rescued the walking of I. F. Stone's Weekly from the trash. Zambia University Library, Lusaka, Zambia (1968-1970); Makerere Social Research Institute, Makerere University Library, Kampala, Uganda (1971-1972); and the District Library of Hennepin, Minnesota (1973-1999).

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Alternate subject title

Berman has been a prominent critic of the biased title in the Congregational Congregational Subject Library. His 1971 publication, Prejudice and Antipathy: An Imprint on the Subject Head of the LC Concerning People triggered a movement to correct a biased subject title. Berman lists 225 titles with proposed changes, additions, or deletions and cross-references to "more accurately reflect the language used in dealing with this topic, to correct biased errors, and to guide better librarians and readers for compelling material." Berman states, "The fact that a number of meanings can be given to the given word explains why the message can be misinterpreted and why our communication is open to misunderstanding." He insists that the message and therefore subject title must convey the idea in a way that is free from prejudice. Berman realizes that continuous use of the subject title of the bias will significantly limit the protective ability to access the materials in the collection. Berman also thinks the use of language in the post should be clear, concise, and reflect the current usage of ordinary people rather than just scientific or technical terms. Overall, the use of a common language in the subject heading will allow quick material retrieval by end users.

Berman also publicly criticized catalogs conducted centrally and standard cataloging tools that support the bias in subject headings. He states, "The national catalog products and services can not be entirely trusted and should not be accepted automatically or uncritically by anyone who truly believes that cataloging should make the material easier and accessible." Creating a completely incorrect catalog or inadequately supplied material is inaccessible even in the collection. Berman thinks bad cataloging is a serious form of censorship. Libraries should oppose censorship and provide the widest spectrum of cultural, social, economic, political, religious, and sexual information. With this in mind, Berman indicates that local libraries should make a conscious effort to accurately depict all the material in the catalog for a patron. A meaningful conscious effort means entering "public records" to clarify unfamiliar concepts for customers. Public records will let a protector know whether an item will suit the information needs. Furthermore, Berman opposes the practice of not categorizing all important aspects of the job. Customers can not access the material when they are not fully cataloged.

The spark of Berman's catalog revolution is his inclusion in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) of the kaffir term he encountered while working in Zambia: "Berman was told by his offended black colleagues that calling a pagan with the so-called negro in America "(Pendergrast). This motivated him to systematically overcome the subject title bias in his work at the Hennepin County Library and in writing Prejudice and Antipathy: An Impression on the Subject Head of the LC Concerning the People . The work, published in two editions, examines racism, sexism, Christocentrism, and other biases attached to LCSH. Berman is also known for his role in encouraging the Library of Congress to bring down ancient titles such as "Wardrobe" in favor of contemporary terminology.

With other Minnesota librarians, as well as those nationally and internationally, Berman is known for promoting activist librarians in which personal ideals involving social justice are part and parcel of professional work. Thanks to this advocacy, the official policy of the American Library Association recognizes the key role of librarians in addressing social ills.

With librarian James P. Danky, Berman has become editor of the Alternative Library Literature, (1982-2001) a biennial compilation of alternative essays on librarianship from various other sources. Other Berman titles include The Joy of Cataloging and Worth Noting . He is a genuine radical librarian; followers call themselves "Sandynistas" or guerrilla catalogs. He is a founding member of the group known as the "Librarian Rebellion", which publishes a manifesto on librarian-related issues.

He is the founder of the Hunger, Famine, and Poverty Task Force of the American Library Association, a division of the Round Table of Social Responsibility, which he also co-founded. Over the past few years he has written and lectured on the failure of ALA and American libraries to help the poor and the homeless. In June 2005, he gave the Library Outreach Lecture Jean E. Coleman at the annual ALA conference, dedicated to OLOS founders.

During the last six months of 2005, working with the help of Steve Fesenmaier, Berman convinced the Library of Congress to create many new subject titles, including: "American Dream", "Plutocracy", "West Virginia Mine Wars, 1897-1921", "Battle of the Mountain Blair, 1921 ", and several others.

The Sanford Berman paper is part of the Archives of the American Library Association (ALA) organized by the University of Illinois Library.

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Later work

After retiring in 1999, Berman continues to request the Library of Congress for the addition and modification of the LCSH system. Since 2005, he has led efforts to honor American labor leader Mary Harris "Mother" Jones and Eugene Debs with a memorial stamp. In 2013 McFarland & amp; The Company publishes its "Unabashed Librarian" column collection as a book titled, Not in My Library .

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References

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Further reading

• Dodge, Chris; DeSirey, Jan (1995). Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sandy Berman But Afraid to Ask . Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & amp; Company. ISBNÃ, 0-7864-0081-1.
• Roberto, K.R., ed. (2008). Radical Catalog: Essays in Front . Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & amp; Company. ISBN: 978-0-7864-3543-2. â € <â € <
• Pashak, Barrett. "Women do it for Dewey." Alberta Report Sep 20, 1999: 34. Academic OneFile. October 13, 2014.

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External links

• The Berman website

Source of the article : Wikipedia