Searching the databases: a quick look at Amazon and two other online catalogues

Area of Science:

• Library and Information Science
• Digital Humanities
• Sociology

Background:

• Online library catalogues are crucial for accessing information, but their search functionalities and content vary significantly.
• National library catalogues (e.g., Library of Congress, British Library) and commercial platforms (e.g., Amazon) offer different approaches to cataloguing and user experience.
• Subject terminology and historical biases within catalogues can impact the discoverability of sensitive or marginalized topics, such as LGBTQ+ literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of the Amazon Online Catalogue against the Library of Congress Catalogue and the British Library Catalogue.
• To evaluate search results for LGBTQ+ related terms (neutral and pejorative) and identify religion-based anti-gay material.
• To assess the suitability of each catalogue for both academic and non-academic research needs.

Main Methods:

• Searched neutral (Gay, Lesbian, Homosexual) and pejorative (Perversion, Sex Crime) subject terms across the three online catalogues.
• Employed Boolean logic searches to specifically identify Lesbian Fiction and religion-based anti-gay materials.
• Analyzed catalogue content for information richness, terminology bias, and the inclusion of back-catalogue (second-hand) items.

Main Results:

• Amazon was more frequently the initial search destination for non-academic users.
• While Amazon excluded some academic research materials, it provided richer individual book information and used less historically homophobic terminology than national catalogues.
• Amazon's second-hand book listings exceeded its in-print offerings, and title publication trends suggested potential correlations between child sex abuse concerns and homophobia, particularly in the U.S. due to the religious right.

Conclusions:

• Amazon serves as a more accessible and less biased entry point for general users seeking LGBTQ+ related materials compared to national library catalogues.
• National catalogues, despite their academic value, retain more historical biases in their terminology.
• The study highlights the evolving landscape of information access and the potential for commercial platforms to offer a more contemporary reflection of societal attitudes.