The MSU Libraries will offer a symposium on reparative description in library catalogs on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

As library communities grapple with legacy practices to describe peoples and cultures in our resources, a common call to action by marginalized groups has been ringing out: “Nothing about us without us.” We invite you to join us in learning how Indigenous cultural heritage professionals have worked to elevate indigenous ways of knowing in library description and classification practices. There will also be time devoted to learning from library workers on how they address harmful language in their catalogs, as well as strategizing on how the library community can come together to reflect, make changes, and continue learning. We hope you can join us!

Attendance is free and lunch will be provided. Please reserve your seat below, using the blue Begin Registration button. If no seats remain, please join the waitlist!

Schedule for the day:

• 9:30-10 — Registration, light refreshments
• 10-11 — Keynote: Blaire Morseau, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, 1855 Professor of Great Lakes Anishinaabe Knowledge, Spiritualities, and Cultural Practices, MSU Department of Religious Studies
• 11-12 — Melissa Isaac and Anne Heidemann,  Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries
• 12-1 — Lunch and optional tours of MSU Libraries
• 1-2 — MSU and UM catalogers: local reparative description projects
• 2-2:15 — Break
• 2:15-3 — Lightning talks
• 3-4 — Discussion and wrap-up

Photographs will be taken during the day. Attendees will have the opportunity to opt out of photos when checking in.

Lunch will be buffet style, catered by a local Mediterranean restaurant, with vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore options. Please let us know if you have food allergies or dietary restrictions: jonesr@msu.edu.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, April 1

Many thanks to our sponsors!

• Michigan Academic Library Association
• University of Michigan Library
• Wayne State University Library System and School of Information Sciences