Publication

Casucci and Wittmann published “Falling through the cracks: Inadequacies in rock climbing research” in the Journal of Library Metadata in February, 2022

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to analyze and assess existing controlled vocabularies for rock climbing-related scholarship
compared to climbing definitions and rating systems, improve metadata in the J. Willard Marriott Library Digital Library collections, and propose solutions to more accurately describe these materials. The project took a multifaceted approach to review climbing metadata across a variety of information formats, including scholarly research literature and audiovisual media. First, the subject headings were aligned to the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), a rating system used by climbers to
distinguish between hiking, scrambling, and easy-to-difficult climbing. A corpora of climbing-related scholarly research articles’ from PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and SportDiscus was created and analyzed for the frequency and accuracy of outdoor recreation subject headings compared to YDS definitions. Locally, the Digital Library collections were reviewed and analyzed with the YDS. Over a hundred of images depicting climbing related sports were updated with correct metadata during the remediation process. Nationally, multiple help tickets were submitted to suggest changes to existing controlled vocabularies and an openly accessible website with best practices was created. The Climbing Metadata website aims to educate nonclimber metadata practitioners about accurate terminology, which will improve the discovery of climbing scholarship and materials.

Full Citation:

Tallie Casucci & Rachel J. Wittmann (2022) Falling through the Cracks: Metadata Inadequacies in Rock Climbing Research, Journal of Library Metadata, 22:1-2, 17-46, DOI: 10.1080/19386389.2022.2032547

UPDATE:

As of September 2022, the Library of Congress Subject Headings updated Alpine Scrambling to Scrambling (for reference, see Library of Congress SACO Summary of Decisions, Editorial Meeting 2207 Notes). This allows for the Scrambling subject heading to be added to more materials about scrambling activities in a variety of topographies and habitats.