WorldCafe on Subject Analysis @ Wellcome Collection

26th November 2025, 11AM to 4PM

The Metadata and Discovery Group invites participants to a WorldCafe held at the Wellcome Collection. The WorldCafe will focus on the continuing discussion and debate around the use of LCSH as a viable controlled vocabulary for subject index in library catalogues. Colleagues are invited from across the sector and at any level who may be interested in forming a coalition of interested groups with a view to establish viable, scalable alternatives to current practice.

Overall objective:

To discuss and review the practices of subject analysis and indexing within the current metadata landscape. To decide on community initiatives and work plans locally, nationally and internationally and to build a coalition of interested parties for the improvement and reform of subject indexing.

Reasons for meeting:

In February 2025, the Library of Congress issued a consultation document proposing wholesale changes to the name and subject authority file to reflect the executive of the Trump administration renaming certain geographical locations including the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali. Less than 24 hours was given for feedback and the change was fast-tracked through the library supply chain as indexes were updated. As a result, all libraries aware of and/or unable to make changes will now show these new names in their library catalogues. This is the latest episode in a string of criticism levelled at LCSH around the appropriate use of terminology and the overall feeling of the unsuitability of a North American-centric system for all English speaking libraries across the world.

Discussion

The WorldCafe format is designed to bring together experts and practitioners to talk through areas of difficulty. It is a social technology for engaging people in conversations that matter and for forging connections in a fragmented world. The areas of particular interest to discuss will be:

1. The sector-wide implications of using LCSH as a subject index
2. To propose principles around which a broad coalition of interested parties could model an alternative system
3. To explore the technical and financial issues around temporary or long term solutions
4. To explore scalable alternatives to LCSH within the UK and global metadata ecosystems
5. To consider partnerships with sector bodies both in the UK and internationally
6. To connect interested parties together with a view to forming working groups around themes or topic areas

Format:

We hope to run the event in person across a number of locations across the UK starting in London. The WorldCafe will operate under Chatham House Rule. There will be facilitators at each event to help frame the discussions around particular topics of interest, but it will be the knowledge, experience and ideas of the participants that will be sought. At the end of the sessions the facilitators will feedback the overall impression of the discussion and help to write up a report on the findings of the room. The report will be circulated to all members of the various WorldCafe events held and collated by MDG and CILIP. Anyone expressing and interest in participation in a change programme will also be contacted after the events to form working groups and build on the coalition.

Who should come?

Anyone with a passion for quality open metadata and standards and willing to share and participate in open discussions. Any vendors or publishers interested in attending should contact the chair of MDG first.

Refreshments and Lunch will be provided

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