The Invisible Default: Examining Representation in Digital Collections

Kaylee P. Alexander, Dorothy Terry, Jasmine Kirby, Rachel Wittmann, and Anna Neatrour

Information Technology and Libraries (forthcoming September 2025)

Abstract

This mixed-method study investigates the representation of race and ethnicity within the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Digital Library. The digital collections analyzed in this study come from the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Special Collections, which represent only a fraction of the library’s physical material (less than 1 percent), albeit those most public facing. Using a team-based approach with librarians from various disciplines and areas of expertise, this project yielded dynamic analysis and conversation combined with heavy contemplation. These investigations are informed by contemporary efforts in librarianship focused on inclusive cataloging, reparative metadata, and addressing archival silences. By employing a data-intensive approach, the authors sought methods of analyzing both the content and individuals represented in our collections. This article introduces a novel approach to metadata analysis—as well as a critique of the team’s initial experiments—that may guide future digital collection initiatives toward enhanced diversity and inclusion.