Drag Storytimes and Bibliographic Invisibility: A Comparative Analysis of Picture Book Subject Metadata

Sarah Barriage; Beth Strickland Bloch; Vanessa Kitzie

doi:10.29173/cais1994

Authors

Sarah Barriage University of Kentucky
Beth Strickland Bloch University of Kentucky
Vanessa Kitzie University of South Carolina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/cais1994

Abstract

Drag storytimes are one type of programming that public libraries offer to address the marginalization of LGBTQIA+ children and families in library spaces. The books read during these storytimes often feature LGBTQIA+ characters and themes. In this work in progress, we will compare the subject metadata assigned within the Library of Congress Catalog and the social cataloging platform LibraryThing to a corpus of picture books read during drag storytimes. We will consider the limitations of using traditional subject headings in capturing the diversity of LGBTQIA+ themes and if the application of user-generated tags offers a more nuanced reflection of content.

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