Since its establishment in 1823, the Library of Virginia has been managed and staffed largely by white, middle class, cisgender people. Consequently, the collections stored at LVA and their descriptions disproportionately reflect the experiences and perspectives of this group. Even when present in the records, marginalized communities and their role in Virginia history have been omitted or misrepresented in the Library’s catalog records and finding aids. Archivists, librarians, and other LVA staff have been working together for the past two years to try to find ways to address these issues. By reviewing professional standards and the work of peer institutions, the Inclusive Description Working Group at the Library of Virginia is attempting to create better policies for Inclusive Description practices to improve access to the history of all Virginians.
Read today's UncommonWealth post to learn more about Inclusive Description and see some before and after examples:

Description for All Virginians: Inclusive Description Efforts at the Library of Virginia - The UncommonWealth (virginiamemory.com)<https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/blog/2024/03/06/description-for-all-virginians-inclusive-description-efforts-at-the-library-of-virginia/>




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