Statement on Potentially Offensive and Harmful Content
Where content on this site comes from
This site provides access to images, documents, and other materials that have been digitized
by a statewide consortium of libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies from across
Massachusetts. The purpose of creating and sharing these collections is to make them available
to researchers, students, and the general public for the purposes of scholarship, education,
and entertainment. These institutions hold a shared belief in the value of making these materials
freely accessible, so that they may increase understanding of our society's cultural heritage and
contribute to the public good.
Why historical materials may be harmful
Objects in historical collections reflect the attitudes, ideas, and norms of the era and culture in
which they were created or collected. As such, some materials available on this site may contain
potentially offensive imagery, language, or opinions, including disparaging portrayals or descriptions
of persons based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin,
disability, or religion. Some materials may depict ceremonies, artifacts, or clothing from
historically marginalized cultures in a disrespectful or exploitative fashion. Additionally, this
site also contains some items with explicit imagery featuring sexual content or violence that may
not be appropriate for all audiences.
Why potentially offensive content is available on this site
These materials are presented for the purpose of preserving the historical record. Their presence
on this site does not constitute any endorsement of the viewpoints or sentiments expressed within
them by Digital Commonwealth or its contributing institutions, which strive to provide an inclusive,
welcoming, and respectful environment serving the information needs of all members of society.
How materials are described
In order to help viewers better understand the origins, context, and historical significance of the
materials in our collections, contributing institutions provide descriptive information (metadata)
to accompany all items such as titles, dates, author names, and notes on the item's history and
origins. Whenever possible, best practices established by library and archival professional
organizations are followed when creating these descriptions. Language from the original item is
typically transcribed directly and without redaction, especially for titles. Standardized topical
terms created by external sources (such as Library of Congress) are also used to provide better
searching and browsing of the collections.
However, adherence to these practices may sometimes result in harmful or outdated language appearing in the descriptions for some materials, particularly in titles or topical headings. We strive to balance these practices with our goal of reducing the hurtful impact that these collections may have.
How potentially harmful materials are handled
Contributing institutions work to identify potentially offensive items as part of the digitization and
description process. Items are identified using a set of criteria collaboratively developed and refined
by Digital Commonwealth member institutions. If an item has been flagged as containing potentially
harmful, offensive, or inappropriate content or language, a warning about the sensitive nature of the
item may also be included with the item display to help visitors decide whether they want to view the
item, or links to additional resources providing further context may be provided.
Community standards and practices
These policies are consistent with established professional guidelines such as
Access to Digital Resources and Services from the American Library Association, the
ACRL Code of Ethics for Special Collections Librarians, and the
SAA Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics from the Society of American Archivists.
This statement draws on the work of other institutions who have created similar statements for their digital collections, including the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries, Temple University Libraries, and the Digital Public Library of America's Black Women's Suffrage Digital Collection.
How to contact us
Further information on how materials are selected for inclusion in this site can be found in the
Digital Commonwealth Collection Development Policy. If you
encounter images, language, or other content you consider harmful, offensive, or inappropriate, or
if you have questions or comments about the policies above, please
contact us.