Library of Congress Settles Scottish Spat

Card-catalog classifications hardly seem the subject of trans-Atlantic imbroglios, but the Library of Congress recently settled one when it agreed to reinstate a past policy of classifying works by Scottish authors under the heading “Scottish literature.” Early last year the library started classifying about 600 titles by Scottish writers as “English literature,” with subheadings like “Scottish authors” or “Scottish poets.” That offended the National Library of Scotland, which complained, enlisting the support of an American congressman, Mike McIntyre, Democrat of North Carolina. Early this month, the librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, wrote to the National Library of Scotland and the British Library, informing them that the Scots would get their own catalog distinction. As of now the Library of Congress is still classifying the works of Irish and Welsh writers under subcategories of English literature, but a spokesman, Matt Raymond, said the library has yet to receive any complaints.