Liberation theologies are not monolithic, varying widely across geography and denominations. That rich diversity, however, is rarely reflected in the catalog with subject headings, or on the shelves with limited classification options. This presents a significant challenge to researchers seeking resources on specific types of Liberation Theology.
In this session, Déborah Ortiz-Rivera will first introduce the audience to the history and diversity of Liberation Theologies from both the perspectives of geography and denomination/tradition. Specifically, this introduction will focus on the differences present in various regions of Latin America and between Catholic and Protestant denominations. Building on this groundwork, Brinna Michael will outline a two-fold project undertaken at Pitts Theology Library to address significant gaps in the representation of Liberation Theology in the catalog and stacks. First, Ortiz-Rivera and Michael supplemented existing subject headings with additional geographic and denominational context to improve the search and discovery experience for patrons. Second, they developed a local expansion of the official Library of Congress Classifications for Liberation (BT83.57), Hispanic American (BT83.575), and Mujerista (BT83.583) Theologies to include further subdivisions, including General works (.A1), General special (.A2), and By region or country (.A3-Z).
