Harmful Content Statement

Introduction

Mountain West Digital Library (MWDL) is a cooperative membership program to share digitized historical collections of the Intermountain West region in a single search site for public access. Our members include a broad network of libraries, museums, archives, and other cultural heritage institutions who collect materials and artifacts from many cultures and time periods, to preserve and make available the historical record. Many items are hosted by our members on behalf of external partner institutions and therefore feature descriptions neither they nor MWDL directly created.

Statement

Mountain West Digital Library acknowledges that some materials and their corresponding descriptions (titles, descriptions, subjects, etc.) may include harmful, problematic, and/or outdated content and language. While this outdated content and language may be found in the materials and/or their descriptions, these materials are made publicly available for the purpose of preserving history and providing an accurate and complete historical record. MWDL does not endorse any problematic language, imagery, or ideologies found therein.

About Statement Creation

The MWDL Harmful Content Taskforce is composed of university faculty librarians from MWDL’s members with a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and personal identities. This multi-institution group includes members from: Brigham Young University; Mountain West Digital Library; University of Nevada, Reno; Utah State University; and University of Utah.

This statement was written by the MWDL Harmful Content Taskforce and approved by the MWDL Governing Body on September 7, 2026.

This statement was developed collaboratively using the library resources listed below:

• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library
• Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage: News
• Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
• Oregon Digital
• University of Nevada, Reno Libraries & Knowledge Center
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries
• Utah Historical Society Digital Collections
• Utah State University Libraries 
• University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott Library

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Where does this content come from?

MWDL partners with cultural heritage organizations across the Intermountain West region (Oregon, Nevada, Utah) who digitize and share historical content online for free. Each contributor shares materials and corresponding descriptions with MWDL according to its local policies and goals. 

Why is outdated language still in use?

Library descriptive practices change over time and many of our materials and descriptions may contain outdated or harmful language that does not align with our current values or meet professional archival descriptive best practices.

These descriptions may include the use of outdated language when: transcribing original language from items; reusing language provided by creators and former stewards; and using certain, nationally recognized library standards.

Report an Issue

MWDL aims to showcase collections and metadata that accurately and respectfully portrays the places, people, and communities found within. Please share your concerns via the MWDL contact form and we will share your submission with the institution who contributed the materials with MWDL.