Princeton University is in the practice of adding warnings to its library documents to protect researchers’ sensitivities.
The Ivy League institution in New Jersey has reportedly been adding ‘trigger warnings’ to library archive documents over the course of several years.
National Review reports that Princeton has been adding such warnings to these documents since at least 2022.
An email obtained by National Review reveals the existence of a recruitment effort for a focus group on “mitigating harm in archival research.” The email describes “recent efforts at Princeton University Library to protect researchers from accidentally stumbling on archival materials that are offensive or harmful,” which is done primarily through “the use of content mediation, warnings, and descriptive notes in the Finding Aids website.”
The email, written by a student advertising the focus group, reportedly suggests that this practice is not unique to Princeton, and is an accepted practice at many universities in order to protect researchers from viewing potentially upsetting content.
The email links to a blog advertisement for a session to “explore ways to protect researchers from accidentally viewing harmful and offensive materials present in the Princeton University Library’s archival collections.”
“The Library does ongoing work to ensure that catalog information and finding aids created by Library staff are accurate and do not contain offensive language,” Princeton’s Vice President for Communications Michael Hotchkiss told National Review. “Any content warnings do not restrict or limit access to Library materials. These efforts encourage and support wide use of the Library’s collections to advance knowledge and make information more discoverable for researchers.”
Originally published by Campus Reform. Republished with permission.
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