De-Homogenizing Liberation Theologies in the Catalog and on the Shelves

Abstract

Liberation theologies are not monolithic, varying widely across geography and denominations. That rich diversity, however, is rarely reflected in the catalog with subject headings, or on the shelves with limited classification options. This paper discusses a project undertaken by the authors to address significant gaps in the representation of Liberation Theology in the catalog and stacks. First, the authors supplemented existing subject headings with geographic, denominational, and historical context to improve the search, discovery, and assessment experience for patrons within the catalog. Second, they developed a local expansion of the official Library of Congress Classification for Liberation theology (BT83.57) with subclassifications, including General works (.A1), General Catholic works (.A2), General Protestant works (.A3), and By region or country (.A4-Z). In the conclusion, the authors reflect on the challenges of the project, future steps, and methods of applying this process to other areas of theological study.