The Africana Subject Authority Funnel Project, or more simply, the Africana Funnel, falls under the Library of Congress Cooperative Cataloging Program known as SACO (Subject Authority Cooperative Program).

 

The Africana Funnel provides a means for proposing new Africa-related subject headings (LCSH) and changes to existing subject headings. The goal of the Funnel is to improve access to Africana resources (particularly works on languages and ethnic groups, history and politics, and geography) by promoting and facilitating the creation and revision of relevant LC subject headings.  We are also expanding the Funnel’s scope to include proposals for new or revised demographic/group terms (LCDGT).

 

The Africana Funnel began in 1995 as a project of the Cataloging Committee of the Africana Librarians Council. The Committee’s then Chair, Liz Plantz (Northwestern University), was the first coordinator, followed by Joe Lauer (Michigan State University), 2001-2010, and Margaret W. Hughes (Stanford University), Fall 2010-2020.  After a hiatus, Marcia Tiede (current Committee Chair, Northwestern University) and Charles Riley (past Committee Chair, Yale University) are the co-coordinators since Fall 2024.

 

The Africana Funnel’s reports (1995-2019) are archived here.  More current reports are posted on the Africana Librarians Council website, here.

 

If you would like to participate in the Africana Funnel, or have questions about or to address to the Funnel, please email:  m-tiede@northwestern.edu and charles.riley@yale.edu.