Michelle L Finley

Books help people think deeply about cultural identity and provide librarians with a curriculum to curate these experiences. This qualitative instrumental case study investigated the metadata searchability of juvenile books featuring Black content in a regional comprehensive public university library in the southeastern United States. The study specifically examined how metadata assigned to juvenile fiction books purchased between 2017 and 2021 reflected the content of the books and impacted their discoverability in the library catalog. By analyzing the metadata coding of these books, the research highlighted the systemic gates that either promote or hinder accurate and comprehensive searchability. Through document analysis, the study offered insight into the challenges and intricacies of catalog search language in juvenile book collections. Findings from this study can guide librarians and policymakers in optimizing metadata standards to enhance the accessibility and visibility of cultural narratives in library collections. By focusing on juvenile books featuring Black characters, this research underscored the importance of metadata in supporting cultural representation and promoting visibility in library collections. It also provided a framework for libraries to evaluate their metadata assignment and align practices with institutional goals of equal opportunity. This work contributes to a growing understanding of how metadata shape the library catalog search experience and encourages libraries to curate collections that resonate with cultural identities while fostering educational growth and awareness among readers.