The name game

Naming information is not only an important process, but a delicate one. This being said, there is a necessary balance when entering the naming process. The example provided in Hope Olson's article , The Power to Name: Representation in Library Catalogs, discusses Cutter's theory on there only being two naming options-logic or absurdity. I would agree with Olson's analysis that it is presumptuous to assume that there is such a restrictive limit on naming for that indicates that the process of creating a name is much less complex than evidence suggests. Amongst this evidence is the broad element of culture or race and the slang terms or connotations that can sometimes be associated with this element as a result of the dictates of society. Although certain words or expressions as they relate to a respective group, person, or practice may be appropriate during a given time or situation, these words may not provide the best naming conventions in a public setting with regards to a library institution. Public institutions, libraries only being one example, must stay up-to-date with current and appropriate terminology in respect to the information they are naming.