[LM_NET] Bias in Dewey

[M S <drjesons@GMAIL.COM>]

Hello

I read with interest Debbie Reese's comments about the bias in Dewey/LC
shelving

I agree that there is bias in the Dewey system toward certain groups.

My question is- Did anyone ever noticed the bias toward biblical figures?

In many cases, King David, Samuel, Sarah, Rachel, Abraham, Moses, Joshua,
Debra,  etc... are treated as biblical figures (subject headings of books
about them) not Jewish leaders and so are all the Old Testament stories
(unless the book title specifies Jewish stories)


If one reads about any figure from Greek Mythology, it would say so "Greek
Mythology" or Greek diety. If one reads  folktales, it would say "African
folktale", "Chinese folktale" etc ...not so for the Old Testament which is
early Jewish history.

A picture book titled *Exodus, *would not have with in its subject heading
anything to do with Judaism or with the holiday of Passover (which is based
on the story in Exodus)

For centuries the Bible (Old Testament) was purposely not treated as a
Jewish book.
It is the same with Dewey, not puposely but still the same.

In my foundation course in library science,  a student asked in which
language the bible was written, I was amazed to hear students say (NYC)
Greek, Latin, and no one except me said Hebrew.

How sad !

Madeleine Zember
Marshall School
Hempstead NY
drjesons@gmail.com

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