Abstract:
The idea for this article took root upon discovering that certain words in the library in which I work’s catalog do not appear correctly – words with diacritics, or accents that change the meaning of the word. This begs the questions: in what ways is power created and replicated within our library systems? This article investigates the ways in which libraries codify and replicate English-centric practices by exploring encoding and acquisitions to begin to uncover for whom libraries are meant to serve through a qualitative literature analysis. Classification, cataloging, and the Internet are also discussed to a lesser degree to exemplify the far-reaching nature of this issue. Finally, this article addresses potential ways libraries can de-center English practices embedded within their systems. This article contributes to the discourse on the impact of embedded power hierarchies in library systems and critically explores the frameworks within which we create and communicate information.
