Library of Congress responds to call for 9/11 Commission Report to be reclassified as a work of ‘fiction’

 

This response was received on Monday, March 6, 2006. 

 

Mr. Haas:

 

When cataloging a book or a report, the Library of Congress does not sit in judgment of its quality or veracity.  That is a role for critics and readers.  The Library assigns subject headings and a classification number that reflect what the book or report purports to be.  Since this particular report is presented by its authors and publisher as non-fiction, we have cataloged it as such.  Had the report been portrayed by its authors as a novel, we would have cataloged it as fiction. 

 

Any library that disagrees with this policy is free to classify the report according to its own policies.  Critics are free to argue the merits and truthfulness of the report without regard to how the Library of Congress has cataloged it.  Library of Congress cataloging should never be construed as either endorsement or disapproval of the item cataloged. 

 

Paul Weiss

Cataloging Policy and Support Office

Library of Congress

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