Inspired Conversations: Katie Retterath Martin started database of diverse books to reflect multi-layered identities

There are blogs out there that point people to books with diverse characters. But Katie Retterath Martin was frustrated that library cataloging systems don't do a better job helping children and their caregivers — or librarians trying to help patrons — find books that reflect their multi-layered identities. So, while a graduate student in library and information science at St. Catherine University a couple years ago, she decided to develop such a database herself. Called OneShelf, the project will allow people to search by race, gender, sexuality, physical abilities, neurodiversity, family dynamics and religion. She's working to launch it with the help of the Finnovation Lab in Minneapolis, where she's participating in a nine-month fellowship program. Retterath Martin, 27, of Farmington, tells us more below.

Q: While you were at St. Kate's, what problems were you seeing in terms of diversity and equity within library cataloging systems?

A: In my first semester, I was taking both an introductory to librarianship class and a cataloging class. We talked a lot about Library of Congress subject headings and cataloging in libraries and how the terms are not relevant anymore, how they can be offensive. They've gotten better, but the process for changing those subject headings is also really slow. But then, in the other classes I was taking, we were asked to shadow reference librarians. And I remember shadowing a librarian from Dakota County. She showed me a spreadsheet she had made herself of her keeping track of books with diverse characters. The fact that she couldn't use the library catalog to find those books and materials really frustrated me. That was a moment that kind of clicked for me that this is a really big problem and no one is doing a lot to solve it.

Q: What were some of those headings that were either not relevant or offensive that you came upon in the way libraries catalog things?

A: Well, one of the big ones they just changed recently. In the last month or two, the Library of Congress changed from using "illegal alien" to "illegal immigrant." So that's something that's been talked about for a long time now and the fact that it was just changed within the cataloging system a month or two ago, it kind of shows you how long that process takes.

Q: When did you start developing OneShelf?

A: OneShelf began back in 2019 in the summer while I was still in grad school. I was taking a class for database management and at the same time I was taking a class in social justice in children's and young adult literature. Our final project for the database class was to create a database just hosted locally on our computers. So I and my classmate, Laura Bell, decided to create a database for identifying books with diverse characters using inclusive terms and headings. And then at the end of the class, our professor, Dr. David McKoskey, offered anyone who wanted to continue working on our project to go into an independent study. So Laura and I took that option. We didn't yet have the vision for expanding it beyond our program. So it was over the winter and last spring that we began considering it more seriously. I ended up meeting up with a lawyer who told me about the Finnovation fellowship. And I applied. Now that's why I'm here.

A: Yes, but at this point, it's also expanded to literary organizations in general. So we're looking at libraries and publishers and bookstores to partner with.

Q: Can you give me an example of what kinds of books or subject headings you could search for under OneShelf?

A: Our goal is to highlight intersectional identities. For example, we have seven overarching subjects and then we have about 150 underlying terms categorized under those subjects right now. They will be changing. Our intention is to keep it fluid because language changes. And we want to be more current and iterate faster than the process we see with the Library of Congress.

Q: For example?

A: If you go into a library catalog right now, one of the main subject headings they use is LBGTQ. And that's great. But for us, what we're trying to do is to highlight the more specific identity. So we're breaking down LBGTQ. We're highlighting books that are lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual or transgender, making it more specific. We're also wanting to make sure we are covering the intersection. Right now, there are blogs out there that will highlight one specific identity, like if you identify a specific racial identity, and maybe they'll go as far as to highlight two identities. But we want to highlight whether a character has a specific racial identity, if they have a particular religious affiliation that is obvious in the book, whether they are neurodivergent, if they have a specific physical ability. So it's breaking down everything. Because people's identities are so complex.

A: Right now, we have about 150 because we're still working with a prototype. But we plan to continue adding more starting in January. We have a book club we'll be starting where we're hoping to gather volunteers that will participate and help us read through the books. The other part of this that makes it difficult at this point is that the information for the characters' identities isn't available from publishers' summaries or just reading the book cover or the jacket of the book. These are things that you have to read the books to figure out. We're starting with picture books.

Q: Is this a product you would sell to libraries or other organizations?