Medicine, Agriculture, or Social Pathology?

The Classification of Materials on Coca

in U.S. LibrariesSALALM 54 - July 6, 2009Tina Gross, St. Cloud State University

Background…

University of Pittsburgh

Eduardo Lozano

Latin American Collection

Bolivian Collection

Research by Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui

In the spring of 2007, Bolivian sociologist, filmmaker, and activist Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui (author of Oprimidos pero no vencidos: luchas del campesinado aymara y qhechwa de Bolivia, 1900-1980 and

n Nacional de Usuarios Campesinos) was a visiting professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

HV5840

H Social sciences

HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology

HV5800-5840 Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology—Drug habits. Drug abuse

HV5825-5840 Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology—Drug habits. Drug abuse--By region or country

HV5840 Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology—Drug habits. Drug abuse--By region or country--Other regions or countries, A-Z ("Other" than the United States)

Example of book assigned to HV5840(probably appropriately)

Example of book assigned to HV5840(probably not appropriately)

HV5810H Social sciences

HVSocial pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology

HV5800-5840 Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology—Drug habits. Drug abuse

HV5810-5823.5 Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology—Drug habits. Drug abuse--Special

HV5810 Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology—Drug habits. Drug abuse—Special--Cocaine. Crack

HD9019.C63H Social sciences

HDIndustries. Land use. Labor

HD9000-9999 Industries. Land use. Labor--Special industries and trades

HD9000-9495 Industries. Land use. Labor--Special industries and trades--Agricultural industries

HD9000-9019 Industries. Land use. Labor--Special industries and trades--Agricultural industries—Food supply. Produce trade

HD9019.A-Z Industries. Land use. Labor--Special industries and trades--Agricultural industries—Food supply. Produce trade--Special products, A-Z

HD9019.C63-.C632Industries. Land use. Labor--Special industries and trades--Agricultural industries—Food supply. Produce trade--Special products, A-Z--Coca

Other frequently occurring LCC numbers

F2230.1.D78 Latin America. Spanish America--South America--Antiquities. Indians--Topics (Ancient and modern), A-Z—Drug use

F2230.1.N37 Latin America. Spanish America--South America--Antiquities. Indians--Topics (Ancient and modern), A-Z—Narcotics

QK495.E82 Botany--Spermatophyta. Phanerogams--Systematic divisions--Angiosperms--By family, A-Z--Erythroxylaceae (Coca)

QP801.C68 Physiology--Animal biochemistry--Special substances--Organic substances--Miscellaneous organic substances, A-Z--Cocaine

RM666.C59 Therapeutics. Pharmacology--Drugs and their actions--Individual drugs and other agents, A-Z--Coca

RS165.C5 Pharmacy and materia medica--Materia medica--Pharmacognosy. Pharmaceutical substances (Plant, animal, and inorganic)--Organic substances--Vegetable substances. Medicinal herbs. Plant drugs--Individual plants and substances, A-Z--Coca

SB295.C6 Plant culture--Field crops--Other field crops--Medicinal plants (Culture only)--By plant, A-Z--Coca

Study conducted by Professor Rivera

• What LC classification numbers are assigned to works on coca?

• What patterns of bias (criminalization, conflation of coca and cocaine) exist in the classification of works on coca?

• Has the assignment of certain classification numbers changed over time?

Miniature study conducted for this presentation

• Used OCLC Connexion (cataloging interface) rather than Worldcat (public interface)

• Looked at frequency of LCC number assignment, no attempt to assess bias at individual title level (LCC numbers reflect both subject content of works and cataloger’s interpretation)

Methodology

Connexion search:hl:coca not cola not na:coca not nc:coca

hl (Library of Congress subject headings)na (personal name subject/600)nc (corporate name subject/610)

709 hits

Methodology

371 records remaining for analysis after removal of

• records with no LCC number

• records with invalid/nonexistent LCC number

• duplicate records

• records with LCC number for larger series or set, not specific to work described in record

Results

Results

Some related subject analysis problems

• In LCC, no number for coca leaf in GT2400-3390.5 “Customs relating to private life” (includes numbers for alcohol, coffee, tea, mate, tobacco, betel nut, etc.)

• In HAPI thesaurus, subject heading “Coca and cocaine”

• In LCC, “Indians” = antiquities