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Statement on Potentially Harmful Language in the Library Catalog and Collections

Current Projects

Revised Problematic Subjects (Ongoing)

This is a selected list of problematic Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) that have been changed since 2020 and updated in the Wayne State University Libraries online catalog beginning in August 2022.

Click on heading for the month listed to get the full list of new, changed, and cancelled LCSH terms for that period that our selected list is derived from.

December 2024

In December 2024, released in March 2025, Library of Congress changed the names for:

  • Mexico, Gulf of to: America, Gulf of
  • Denali, Mount (Alaska) to: McKinley, Mount (Alaska)

Please see our separate project: Local Changes, on our local decisions related to these geographic name changes.

September 2024

Original Term New Term
Elgin marbles Parthenon sculptures

July 2024

Original Term New Term
Gook (The English word) (CANCELLED) [along with the other subject headings (not in the WSULS Catalog): Homo (The English Word); Shyster (The English Word); Slut (The English Word); and Spade (The English Word) because the headings are covered by the subject: English language--Slurs

June 2024

Original Term New Term
Hemiplegics People with hemiplegia
Miscegenation Miscegenation (Racist theory)

and associated headings, e.g.: Miscegenation in literature

 Miscegenation (Racist theory) in literature
Paralytics People with paralysis
Paraplegics People with paraplegia
Quadriplegics People with quadriplegia
Racially mixed children Multiracial children

and associated headings, e.g. : Racially mixed families, Racially mixed people, Racially mixed people in art, and Racially mixed people in literature
  • Multiracial families
  • Multiracial people
  • Multiracial people in art
  • Multiracial people in literature

March 2024

Original Term New Term
Cerebral palsied People with cerebral palsy

and associated headings, e.g.: Cerebral palsied artists; and: Cerebral palsied children
  • Artists with cerebral palsy
  • Children with cerebral palsy
Deaf Deaf people

and associated headings, e.g.: Deaf in literature

 Deaf people in literature
Films for the hearing impaired Films for the hard of hearing people
Hearing impaired Hard of hearing people

and associated headings, e.g.: Hearing impaired students

 Hard of hearing students
Interpreters for the deaf Interpreters for deaf people

November 2023

Original Term New Term
Attention-deficit disorder in adolescence Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

and associated headings, e.g.: Attention-deficit disorder in adults, etc.

 Attention-deficit hyperactivity in adults
Attention-deficit disordered adults People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

and associated headings, e.g.: Attention-deficit disordered children, etc.

 Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

September 2023

Original Term New Term
Bisexuals Bisexual people

and related headings, e.g.: African American bisexuals, and: Social work with bisexuals
  • African American bisexual people
  • Social work with bisexual people

August 2023

Original Term New Term
Gays Gay people

and related headings, e.g.: Christian gays; Gays and sports; or: Gays' writings
  • Christian gay people
  • Gay people and sports
  • Gay people's writings

June 2023

Original Term New Term
Feminine hygiene products Menstrual products

April 2023

Original Term New Term
Female circumcision Female genital mutilation
Gender identity disorders Gender dysphoria
Indecent assault (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subject: Sexual assault
Sexual reorientation programs Conversion therapy

March 2023

Original Term New Term
Children of egg donors (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subject: Donor conceived people
Children of sperm donors (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subject: Donor conceived people

December 2022 and List 2 for December 2022

Original Term New Term
Giants Giants (Folklore)
Slaves Enslaved persons

and related headings: e.g.: Slaves--Emancipation; and: Child slaves
  • Enslaved persons--Emancipation
  • Enslaved children
Slave insurrections Slave rebellions
Slavery--United States--Legal status in free states Slavery--United States--Legal status of enslaved persons in free states

November 2022

Original Term New Term
Albinos and albinism (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • People with albinism
  • Albinism
Albinos and albinism in literature (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • People with albinism in literature
  • Albinism in literature

October 2022

Original Term New Term
Advertising--Sex-oriented businesses Advertising--Sex industry
Sex-oriented businesses Sex industry

and related headings, e.g.: Sex-oriented businesses--Law and legislation

 Sex industry--Law and legislation

August 2022

Original Term New Term
Manic-depressive illness Bipolar disorder
Manic-depressive persons People with bipolar disorder

and related headings, e.g.: Manic-depressive illness in adolescence

 Bipolar disorder illness in adolescence

June 2022

Original Term New Term
Industries, Primitive (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • Industries
  • Industries, Prehistoric
Primitive societies (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • Anthropology
  • Prehistoric peoples
Primitive societies in literature Primitive man stereotype in literature

March 2022

Original Term New Term
Art, Primitive * (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • Art, Prehistoric
  • Art
Arts, Primitive * (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by:

Arts
Indians--Urban residence * Urban Indians
Indians of Mexico--Urban residence * Urban Indians--Mexico

and similar: [Named native peoples]--Urban residence; e.g. Aztecs--Urban residence

 Urban [Native peoples]; e.g. Urban Aztecs
Sculpture, Primitive * (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • Sculpture
  • Sculpture, Prehistoric


* NOTE: subjects relating to "Primitives" and "Urban Indians" are not comprehensive

February 2022

Original Term New Term
Algonquian Indians--First Contact with Europeans Algonquian Indians--First contact with other peoples

and similar headings: [Named native peoples]--First contact with Europeans

 [Named native peoples]--First contact with other people

December 2021 and List 2 for December 2021

Original Term New Term
Blacks * Black people
Blacks in literature * Black people in literature
Free blacks * Free black people
Freedmen * Freed persons
Law, Primitive (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subject: Customary law
Marranos Crypto-Jews--Iberian Peninsula
Whites White people
Whites in literature White people in literature


* NOTE: changed subjects relating to "Blacks", "Freedmen", and "Whites" are not comprehensive

November 2021

Original Term New Term
Alien criminals  Noncitizen criminals
Alien detention centers  Noncitizen detention centers
Aliens Noncitizens
Children of illegal aliens * (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • Children of noncitizens
  • Illegal immigration
Illegal aliens * (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects
  • Noncitizens
  • Illegal immigration


* NOTE: Subjects relating to the cancelled term "Illegal aliens" are not comprehensive

October 2021

Original Term New Term
Hypochondria Illness anxiety disorder

July 2021

Original Term New Term
Romanies--Nazi persecution Romani Genocide, 1939-1945
Elaine Race Riot, Elaine, Ark., 1919 Elaine Massacre, Elaine, Ark., 1919

June 2021 and List 2 for June 2021

Original Term New Term
Concentration camp inmates (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • Internment camp inmates
  • Nazi concentration camp inmates
German Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1941-1948 German Americans--Forced removal and internment, 1941-1948
Italian Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942 Italian Americans--Forced removal and internment, 1942
Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945 Japanese Americans--Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945

April 2021

Original Term New Term
Concentration camps * (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the subjects:
  • Internment camps
  • Nazi concentration camps
Noble savage Noble savage stereotypes
Noble savage in literature Noble savage stereotype in literature


* NOTE: Subjects relating to the cancelled term "Concentration camps" are not comprehensive

October 2020

Original Term New Term
Armenian massacres, 1915-1925 Armenian Genocide, 1915-1925
Tulsa Race Riot, Tulsa, Okla., 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Tulsa, Okla., 1921

April 2020

Original Term New Term
Sex change--Law and legislation Gender transition--Law and legislation
Sex change in literature Gender transition in literature

March 2020

Original Term New Term
Ovum donors Egg donors
Sex change (CANCELLED) because the heading is covered by the existing subjects:
  • Gender reassignment surgery
  • Gender transition--Hormone therapy

Completed Projects

Ukraine Reclassification (April 2024)

For over a hundred years, material about Ukraine had been classified in the Library of Congress Call Number Classification under DK508 (the classification number for: History of Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics—Regions not limited to one Republic, A-Z). This lumps all the material about Ukraine, especially its history, under Russia. A multi-year project started at Library of Congress began in 2022 to revise the call number ranges for Ukraine material. In 2023 it was announced that the history of Ukraine would be transferred to a separate chain of call numbers (DK5001-DK5995), getting it out from under call number hierarchy that placed it under Russia.

The final list of new call numbers was released in October 2023, and can be found here.

WSULS had a small collection of material in LC classification that fall under the DK508 number and we have updated about 130 items to their new call numbers. There are a few stragglers that have been checked out or missing, but for the most part this has been completed as of April 14, 2025.

Gulf of Mexico & Mount Denali (March 2025)

In March 2025, the Library of Congress released its list of changes to its vocabulary, the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), which included changes to Geographic Place names in reaction to recent Administration Executive Orders. Despite push-back from the library community, LC cited its policy, stating "The Library of Congress defers to the United States Board of Geographic Names (BGN) for place names contained within our controlled vocabularies and classification." Despite concerns from the library community, the following changes were officially made on March 14, 2025:

  • Mexico, Gulf of was changed to: America, Gulf of
  • Denali, Mount (Alaska) was changed to: McKinley, Mount (Alaska)

In addition to several related headings that included these original terms.

The full list of changes can be found here: https://www.classweb.org/approved-subjects/2412a.html

Libraries are not required to use LCSH for their controlled vocabulary. They can use whichever controlled vocabulary from any source, even local ones, if they so desire. Many libraries will not be complying with these changes and Wayne State will not be doing so, either.

Here are enumerated the subject headings that are associated with resources held in our online catalog and the changes we've made to retain the original subject headings for: Mexico, Gulf of, and: Denali, Mount (Alaska).

Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Oil Spill, 2010

added local: America, Gulf of, Oil Spill, 2010
added local: Gulf of America Oil Spill, 2010
retained: Drilling platforms--Accidents--Mexico, Gulf of
retained: Oil spills--Mexico, Gulf of
added local: Drilling platforms--Accidents--America, Gulf of
added local: Oil spills--America, Gulf of

Chicxulub Crater

retained: Cryptoexplosion structures--Mexico, Gulf of
retained: Submarine topography--Mexico, Gulf of
added local: Cryptoexplosion structures--America, Gulf of
added local: Submarine topography--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Continental shelf--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Continental shelf--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Continental slopes--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Continental slopes--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Coral reefs and islands--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Coral reefs and islands--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Denali, Mount (Alaska)

This authority record already had cross-references to McKinley, Mount (Alaska) and: Mount McKinley (Alaska), no no new variations were added

retained original heading: Drilling platforms--Accidents--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Drilling platforms--Accidents--America, Gulf of

Gulf States

modified the public note: Here are entered works on the states of the United States that border on the
Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)

retained original heading: Marine sediments--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Marine sediments--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Mexico, Gulf of

added local: America, Gulf of
added local: Gulf of America

retained original heading: Ocean currents--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Ocean currents--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Offshore oil industry--Environmental aspects--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Offshore oil industry--Environmental aspects--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Oil spills--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Oil spills--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Pilot guides--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Pilot guides--America, Gulf of

Pulley Ridge

added local: Coral reefs and islands--America, Gulf of
added local: Mid-ocean ridges--America, Gulf of

retained original heading: Submarine topography--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: Submarine topography--America, Gulf of

Texas, South

modified the public note: Here are entered works on an approximately forty county area south of San
Antonio and bounded on the east by the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) and on the south
and west by Mexico.

retained the original heading: World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Mexico, Gulf of

added local: World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--America, Gulf of