A Sense of Place: Decolonising the Polar UDC classification scheme

Abstract

The Polar Library supports the multidisciplinary research of the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) at the University of Cambridge (Scott Polar Research Institute, 2024). The library’s 89,000 holdings cover diverse topics from glaciology to the anthropology of the north, and from climate science to polar geopolitics. Holdings are organised using a bespoke version of the Universal Decimal Classification (known as Polar UDC). This classification scheme makes the geographic location the primary focus, deploying fine subdivisions to co-locate all material about one place. This classification scheme is highly appropriate for a library with extensive Arctic and Antarctic collections. Indigenous peoples too have a strong sense of place - the land and natural resources on which they depend are inextricably linked to their identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as their physical and spiritual well-being. By colocating all works about a place, Polar UDC more closely aligns with Indigenous world views than classification schemes such as Library of Congress which places together works about subjects, no matter what their geographic or cultural origins. Polar UDC originated in 1945, a 4th printed edition published in 1994 and an electronic version issued in 2016. While other libraries continue to make use of the scheme for reference, SPRI is possibly unique in continuing to use it to organise its collections. A fully revised, decolonised edition will ensure the Polar Library’s subject headings are inclusive, up-to-date, respectful of Northern Indigenous communities, and functional in the digital environment. This paper reports on the project to revise Polar UDC looking through a decolonial lens.