George Washington Presidential Library's statement on harmful content and its description:
Content
As stewards of historical collections, the George Washington Presidential Library is dedicated to the preservation and care of important cultural resources. While using this material, library patrons may encounter language or other content that is harmful or offensive. Providing access to these items is not an endorsement of the use of harmful language or beliefs, and does not align with the George Washington Presidential Library’s current practices and values.
Catalog records and collection description
The George Washington Presidential Library staff is committed to the use of respectful and inclusive language to catalog and describe our collections. We are actively reviewing terminology that may be offensive and harmful, and every effort will be made to update these records using the preferred language of the community represented. This is an ongoing process that will take time. Descriptive language may be retained if it meets the following criteria:
- It is the title of a book, article, or other published item
- It is quoted or transcribed directly from the historical source
- It is an organization’s name, or a person identifying themselves by a specific term
Our staff welcomes feedback from library patrons and will review any description reported by them as harmful. To report an offensive description found in our catalog, finding aids, or digital collections, please email library staff at fwslibrary@mountvernon.org.
This statement was informed by similar statements at other institutions.