Cataloguing Palestine: Investigating Cultural Imperialism in Subject Headings

Abstract

This thesis examines how library classification systems, particularly the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), participate in the cultural erasure of Palestine. Grounded in anti-colonial theory and the works of thinkers like Frantz Fanon and Edward Said, it explores how settler-colonial frameworks are embedded in systems of knowledge organization, obscuring and distorting Palestinian histories, identities, and narratives. This project undertakes the creation of a critical genealogy (Davis et al., 2022) tracing the works of information professionals both in and out of Palestine in confronting and combatting these frameworks. Weaving together conversations happening in published literature, conferences, and a roundtable discussion featuring information professionals working in Palestine and Gaza, this thesis highlights both the violence of existing cataloguing practices and the potential for resistance through justice-driven approaches to metadata. The findings underscore the urgent need for classification work that centers Palestinian voices and resists the epistemic violence of settler colonialism.