TCDL 2025

Unveiling a Difficult Past: An Analysis of Content Statements and Warnings in Repositories
By: Noah Garcia

It is an increasingly frequent occurrence to encounter “content warnings” and “trigger warnings” throughout one’s use of the internet. Commonly seen on social media websites, these pop-ups obscure content deemed graphic or explicit until the user opts into viewing it. A similar — yet separate method of handling potentially sensitive content — can be found as harmful content statements. These more generalized, less item specific statements can have a different impact on patron experience. As information continually gets created and subsequently archived, violent and disturbing content must be interacted with carefully. Archives preserve pieces of history and culture - the good, the bad, and the ugly. The continued question is - how should libraries, archives, and museums handle this nuanced and potentially harmful content? This presentation will share the importance of harmful content statements by providing examples, commonalities in language, and by arguing that harmful content statements (not warnings) are crucial to navigating libraries and archives. Lastly, it will encourage the re-evaluation of current potential harmful content statements in archival collections and the assurance of inclusive description and labeling.

Working with Harmful Content: A Practical Set of Tools for Managing Vicarious Trauma
By: Kat Strickland & Devon Murphy

Working with harmful language and content can affect us. Over the course of seeing or handling harmful materials, we can experience "vicarious trauma," also known as "secondary trauma," a state of distress that can be just as serious as primary traumatic experiences. As the University of Texas at Austin Libraries collections have a large amount of disturbing or sensitive material, guidance was sorely needed on how to balance metadata creation for these materials and the mental well-being of staff and student workers. Prompted by a series of historic maps containing place names with racial slurs, the presenters sought to create resources to better care for and respect the needs of metadata workers. This presentation will review the resulting guide and tools contained within, including a consent checklist, an anonymized check-in form, and example scenarios. The audience for this guide includes staff, student workers, and anyone who may be in frequent contact with harmful materials. By including discussion of both the guide’s conceptualization as well as how to use the tools, the presenters aim to demonstrate the content as a replicable model for other institutions.