EPC Exhibit 136-13.3
March 21, 2013
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Dewey Section
To:
Caroline Kent, Chair
Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee
Cc:
Members of the Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee
Karl E. Debus-López, Chief, U.S. General Division
From: Rebecca Green, Assistant Editor
Dewey Decimal Classification
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
Via:
Michael Panzer, Editor in Chief
Dewey Decimal Classification
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc
Re:
299.675 Voodoo
Recently (October 2012) the LCSH Voodooism gave way to Vodou, the spelling most
commonly used by Haitians for the traditional religion of Haiti. Various of the 670 fields in the
LCSH record (sh 85144397) indicate the reasoning behind the change:
670
##
670
##
670
##
$a Desmangles, L.G. The faces of the gods, 1992: $b p. xi (There is much academic
disagreement among scholars about the name of Haiti's folk religion, and about the
orthography of the word vodou. The common term voodoo ... has been used by
many scholars. But unfortunately, in popular literature and films the term voodoo
has been misconstrued as sorcery, witchcraft, and in some cases cannibalistic
practices, all of which are false and have kindled many foreigners' prejudices not
only about Vodou, but about Haitian culture in general. Other scholars have used
the term vodun or vodoun ... in order to dispel popular misconceptions about the
religion. ... I adopt Vodou for this book because it is phonetically more correct, and
because it corresponds to the nomenclature used by the Haitians themselves for
their religion)
$a Largey, M. Vodou nation, 2006: $b p. 243 (Since the standardization of Haitian
Kreyol orthography in the 1920s, Haitain traditional religion has been spelled
"Vodou" ... Since North American depictions of Haitian traditional religion have
been so overwhelmingly negative, the spelling "voodoo" has come to symbolize
evil magical practices in both Haiti and Louisiana)
$a Vodou in Haitian life and culture, 2006: $b p. 35, footnote 7 (Vodou is still the
most commonly used spelling by those who write on the Haitian religion though,
1
670
##
670
##
increasingly, the more correct spelling Vodun is being introduced in scholarly
publications ... some spell it Vodoun ... Haitians tend to prefer Vodou)
$a Religion stylebook: a guide for reporters working on journalism's best beat,
online Sept. 10, 2012 $b (Vodou: ... Other common spellings include Vodun,
Voodoo and voodoo, but generic uses of "voodoo" can be offensive to those who
practice the religion. Avoid using phrases such as "voodoo economics," except in
direct quotes. The Associated Press Stylebook continues to use Voodoo.)
$a ART; Behind the occult, vivid sacred art, article in the New York Times, Feb. 4,
1996; accessed online Sept. 10, 2012 $b (Vodou (or voodoo, as it is more generally
known) has little to do with the images of freakish debauchery often rendered in
history books and by Hollywood. Vodou offers a system of beliefs that provides
both meaning and solace, qualities that are in short supply in a country with no
public schools, few working sewers, no public transportation, little industry and no
good roads. It is also highly eclectic: in an effort to recreate their religious culture in
Haiti, African slaves expropriated a huge repertory of influences, including bits and
pieces from the indigenous Taino Indians, from Roman Catholicism, Freemasonry
and European mysticism.)
At the same time, a split was created between the LCSH for vodou as a religion and an LCSH for
hoodoo as an occult practice:
010
150
550
680
##
##
##
##
681
##
$a sh 85061897
$a Hoodoo (Cult)
$w g $a Cults $z United States
$i Here are entered works on a form of cult magic practiced primarily in the
southern United States. Works on the major folk religion practiced primarily in
Haiti and parts of the southern United States are entered under $a Vodou.
$i Note under $a Vodou
We have decided likewise to adopt the spelling for the religion that is preferred by its adherents
and to recognize a split between vodou, the religion, and hoodoo, the occult practice. These
decisions will mostly affect indexing,1 but will also affect the following two schedule entries:
133.4 Demonology and witchcraft
Including hoodoo
Class here black arts
For divinatory arts, see 133.3
See also 299.675 for vodou voodoo as a religion
See Manual at 130 vs. 200
We will retain “Voodoo” as an RI at 299.675, consistent with our indexing practice elsewhere. For example,
“Gypsies” is indexed to T5—91497, but does not appear in the body of the class description. The caption at
T5—91497 is “Romany people.” Also, we propose to use the form Hoodoo and not Hoodoo (Cult)
1
2
299.675
†Vodou
Including zombiism
Class voodoo as an occult practice without regard to its religious significance
in 133.4
See also 133.4 for hoodoo
See Manual at 130 vs. 200
3