The
process
When I started this project I knew from the beginning that I wanted to document it as detailed as possible to be able to do a follow up and represent a useful step by step that can be use as a guide to tackle issues of the same nature you might find yourself.
That is why I took lots of screenshots that I believed illustrated nicely what my train of thought looked like and how progress unfolded. I also tried to write a diary describing not only my work but personal impressions about the overall library system.
Sadly, this kind of situation is very common for galician language, as the galician government shows little to no interest in standing up for it and elevating it to a healthy, normalised position.
To learn more, visit the project.
STEPS
1. I found the original mistake
2. I communicated it to a member of the KdG Sint Lucas library staff, who said he was going to communicate it to the administration.
3. Months later, I found out it hadn’t been changed, so I decided to take action
4. I started a keywords search out of curiosity to see if there were more books in the same situation
5. I found around 20 more books, so decided to tackle the situation one by one
6. Made a list with all the books’ data and where to find them.
7. I checked the books myself in person and made scans of them to prove my point
The black pop up says “The text was recognized in the language ‘Spanish’. To change it, clic on ‘DIGITALISED DOCUMENTS’ > Settings.”
8. In the meanwhile, I investigated about the protocol I needed to follow
9. I created an excel document (and this website) to communicate more effectively what needed to be changed.
10. I sent my REQUEST
In addition, I tried to keep a diary to document closely and personally how the journey was for me, as I thought it would be useful to have a more human insight in a project so intrinsecally related to objective data.
The diary (translation)
The diary is transcripted and translated respecting the language record I used in each moment to express myself.
It is not altered nor corrected in order to be as genuine as possible.
RE CLASIFICATION OF 20 BOOKS FROM THE ANTWERP LIBRARIES’ DATABASE
The seed of this project was planted in January 12th, 2022, when I was looking for academic material to fuel my Premaster paper on the artist Christian Boltanski, to my surprise, a galician book popped out as the second result of my search; after my first reaction, to smile, I suddenly remembered that I actually hadn’t set a galician filter for my search, but spanish and english alone. A million thoughts ran through my head in half a second and a much bigger and sarcastic smile came to my face: I had a mission.
It was only after several months that I realized the book classification actually hadn’t been changed, and that I needed to take action into it.
November 18th 2022
Middleheim museum Bibliotheek
After reserving the books by email for consultation, I went to the middleheim museum in person (5,5km by bike) to corroborate that it was a mistake indeed, and they were in galician.
When I got there, I realized how bizarre the scene of a library of approximately 3 meters wide and 30 long, with two administrative workers right in the middle, was. You could barely pass through, one of them needed to actually scoot their chair forward to let you in.
The male employee (later I learned he was called Jasper) led the way for me all the way to a really small desk where the books I requested were waiting for me, and added: “Well, you are an english speaker, these books are in italian... I think; I don’t know if that’s what you wanted” and I made the face from the Goku ironically smiling meme1 and said “ACTUALLY, that is the point of my visits, to check the language of these books, as I found errors on the language classification of various copies on the library database, and I am trying to prove it so they change it”, to then ask him if he knew what was the protocol in that case. He was very surprised to learn that and said he didn’t know, but he would ask his superior when he arrived and he would provide me the information by email; also, very kindly, he offered to help me scan if I needed proof to back up my position, that honestly was something I didn’t quite think of up until that moment, so I took his advice and did it.
I concluded from this visit that the copy of ‘Medardo Rosso’ the Antwerp library possesses is the spanish edition, for it is a book that was published in three languages separately; that was something I already knew after a brief google investigation, but it was worth it to check on it (the authorship of the book is from the CGAC director at the time, the same institution that backs up the publication).
Also, that ‘10 anos CGAC. 1993-2003’ is a book that is mainly in galician, with introduction texts and prologue translated to spanish and english; there is no more text than that and the explanation of each exhibition hosted throughout those years, that is only in galician.
November 25th 2022
After some days ... he sent me the scans of the books -for the system of a library so small, it was a bit rudimentary, and he could only selftransfer the files-, explaining in addition that he didn’t have any news from the change request protocol, but that he would continue to investigate. Today, just one week later, aínda nada (nothing yet).
UAntwerpen Stadscampus Bibliotheek
As there is no online registering option, and the registration takes 24 hours to become effective, it took me almost an entire week to proccess the request of the books that were in this library (which has been the majority of the list). The first time I went they registered me wrong, so I had to go back the next day as I saw there was an error message in the book request platform. Apparently they hadn’t asked for my birth date, that is crutial for the external users of the library (it is not my university in Antwerp, I study in KdG) as it happens to be the access password2. They registered me again, and the next day I could finally reserve the books for consultation.
A significant amount of the books were not available for reservation, and I deduced they were consultation only.
The environment is completely different from the one at the Middleheim museum library, because it is a very big and important University library, just like the Conchi or Empresas3 . I had to create an account to be able to scan all the books and I had to register my arrival and departure time with a QR code.
I asked to two different people (because I know sometimes there are people working at the reception that are not exactly library staff) about the category change request protocol, and both of them told me I should contact the Helpdesk (that is concretely the one from the University of Antwerp) so they can refer me appropiately to whom manages those business.
I also asked about the books that were listed as “placement of a hold for this document is not possible/not allowed” and “stack request for this document is not possible/not allowed”, and they told me I had to search for them and pick them up myself in the reading rooms, but they didn’t clarify if they are also only for consultation.
I searched the location of all of them, annexed the relation to my list, and the actual task of looking for them is something I am going to do after lunch as I am very hungry. I tagged every book with its location on the side so it was easier to find from one day to another.
December 1st 2022
In the end I went back on November 29th, in a little moment I had, to review only the books from the history reading room (GES).
In the beginning, looking for the codes of the library was very difficult because it didn’t really have a clear order, but when I finally understood it and found the corridor with the books related to Spanish history, it turned out to be also the only corridor without light in the department. It seemed to be a bit of a joke. I had to look through every book 2 times because I wasn’t finding two of the ones I was looking for. It happened to be one more mistake in the classification, as those books, classified as part of a collection, “Historia de Galicia”, exist but they are not in the library collection4. Historia de Galicia is only one book, but it includes contributions from one of the two authors of these books that are not in the library collection. It was easier than I was expecting after all so I just had to scan and classify correctly two books. I will come back on a different day to check the ones from the Literature and Design departments.
December 12th 2022
I came back again on December 7th with the aim of checking the books from the language and literature section. After finding the book “A lingua do alumnado e profesorado nas franxas occidentais de Asturias, León e Zamora”, I found next to it several more, in the section of portuguese language, that besided being in spanish, addressed exclusively galician language. That is why I decided to create an annex that includes (for now) 4 books that are not in galician, but whose topic classification is mistaken anyway.
After finding a couple more books, two questions arose:
The first one, where were the shelves with the books reffered from the number 840, as the ones I am looking for are assigned with the 860 but there is not such a thing in this room and this floor, that is where they are indicated to be positioned in the database.
The other one, what does the reference MAG mean; I found two books with said reference that I can’t take by myself, and there seems to be a machine that takes them out for you on a conveyor belt. I wonder if there is a little man inside working just like in the pizza 24h that is in front of the Colón.
Okay, I learned MAG means magazine, but I don’t dare to touch the machine because there is a lot of people at the library and I don’t want to make a fool of myself. I will keep going on saturday I think. Now I am going to scan some more.
February 18th 2024
There was a (really) big stop in the project because I had problems to identify where to locate the last few books. Today is february 18th, 2024, and I resume the project with motivation but a bit of insecurity. At this stage, I gathered almost all the data I needed to prove my point and back up the language change request (among others), but the format doubts to document and reflect this project have me a bit paralyzed.
And yet, I am going to try to finish gathering the data this week, organize it properly and send them with the request to the library administration. It will be my goal for the week.
Today, sunday, I am going to reorganize the project to see exactly where I’m at, and which steps I have to take next, so it is easier to carry it out.
February 20th 2024
One of the added difficulties from this project and consequently from the classification of these books in itself, is that the language of the title does not always correspond with the language (because diglossia5), or there is even titles that mix galician and spanish.
March 13th 2024
I keep postponing to send the email with all the data because of my will to ask for a job as well. I feel a bit embarrased about it, like, they are probably going to believe that I’m so full of myself.
Also, I keep going to the library for “the final field work” and it is never the final one; there is always stuff left to do. The other day I had to search for a book on one of those cool old shelves that are all put together unless you turn a massive wheel. I felt almost like an actual researcher.
April 8th 2024
I received an email back replying to the one I sent with the whole data and my work proposal. To be honest I am pretty disappointed that they didn’t make any refference to the work proposal, not even to disregard it, but they still have time to regret it.
The next step will be to check one by one the books on the catalog every once in a while to see if they actually get changed. I think I will create an independent page to update on that.
1I later learned it is actually Vegetta, in the meme you can’t see his hair that is what actually helps me personally to differentiate them.
2I reset the password, so even if you try to enter my birth date you wouldn’t be able to access it, sorry.
3A Conchi (USC, Santiago de Compostela) and Empresas (UDC, A Coruña), are the biggest study libraries in each city respectively. As a fun fact, my parents met at the second one because they both used to go there to study.
4Update, in the end, I finally found those books, the classification is correct. I must have not found them in the first try, or they were lent to someone at that time.
5Diglossia is a phenomenon that occurs when there is two cohabitant languages in the same territory, but one is considered more prestigious than the other. That triggers all kinds of situations where the use of both languages (but mainly the minorized one) is not respected rigorously, but as the user sees fit for the social context. More info on diglossia.