Sanford Berman (born October 6, 1933) is an outspoken, radical librarian (cataloguer) known for promoting alternative viewpoints in librarianship and acting as a pro-active information conduit to other librarians around the world, mostly via public speaking, voluminous correspondence, and unsolicited "care packages" delivered via the U.S. Postal Service. Will Manley, columnist for the ALA publication, American Libraries referred to Berman as a 'bibliographic warrior.'
Berman’s understanding of language fueled his desire to create the best cataloging record possible. He knew that one word might be perfectly acceptable to one individual but highly offensive to another. Berman stated, “The fact that a number of meanings may be assigned to a given word explains why messages are subject to misinterpretation and why our communication is open to misunderstandings.” Messages and therefore subject headings must convey an idea in a fashion free from prejudice. Berman realized the continued use of biased subject headings would significantly limit the ability of a patron to access materials in the collection. Berman also thought the use of language in headings should be clear, concise, and reflect the current usage of every day people rather than only scientific or technical terms. Overall, the use of common language in subject headings would facilitate prompt retrieval of materials by the end user.
The spark of Berman's cataloging revolution was the inclusion in Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) of the term kaffir, which he came across while working in Zambia: "Berman was told by offended black fellow-workers that calling someone a kafir was similar to being called a nigger in America" (Pendergrast).
With other Minnesota librarians, as well as nationally and internationally, Berman is known for promoting activist librarianship in which personal ideals entailing social justice are part and parcel of professional work. Thanks to this advocacy the American Library Association's official policy recognizes librarians' key role in addressing social ills.
He is the founder of the American Library Association's Hunger, Homelessness & Poverty Task Force, a division of The Social Responsibilities Round Table which he also co-founded. During recent years he has written and lectured on the failure of ALA and American libraries to help the poor and homeless. In June 2005 he gave the Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture at the annual ALA conference, dedicated to the founder of OLOS.
He continues to mail more than 100 pieces on a weekly basis, continuing to educate and entertain his friends and colleagues worldwide.
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