Awdl, ysgrif, marwnad: reflections on Welsh-language subject headings in the literary domain

Purpose This article examines the ways in which Welsh-language subject headings may be used to classify literature and explore arguments for and against the implementation of Welsh-language subject headings. It considers the information-seeking processes of Welsh literature scholars. It takes its cues from recent research on how libraries support and revitalise indigenous cultures and languages, offering New Zealand's Maori Subject Headings (MSH) as a potential model for a Welsh-language equivalent. Design/methodology/approach The method is a combination of semi-structured interviews with Welsh literary scholars and a discursive analysis of the results of these interviews. The article also offers an auto-ethnographic insight into cataloguing at a SACO-participating library in a minority culture. The MSH model is used to explore the potential advantages and disadvantages of Welsh-language subject headings. Findings The discursive analysis of the scholars' interviews points towards a traditionalist and conservative information retrieval process that relies heavily on English and English translation. Drawing from the MSH model, the article makes suggestions regarding Welsh-language subject headings, including the recommendation that Welsh-language subject headings would enshrine academic terminology, as well as terminology specific to Welsh culture in daily language use and would support Welsh scholars in their information retrieval process. Originality/value This study explores the potential advantages and disadvantages of Welsh-language subject headings in the literary domain, a topic about which there has been limited research to date. It considers the information-seeking processes of academics in Welsh literature and the advantages and disadvantages of using literary terms in a minoritised language.