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Decolonizing my Library (12 of 15)
Libraries as Guardians of the Dispossessed
Ethical Stewardship of Cultural Heritage
This post is part of a series that reviews decolonialism in libraries, archives and other similar spaces, from the perspective of the Global South and the margins, and how colonialism affects collections, staffing, services, activities, policies, and results. Check all the posts in this section's index.
Introduction
Cultural heritage is under siege, not only from the forces of colonialism and globalization but also from the rapid and unchecked advancements of technology and the commercialization of history. As custodians of knowledge and memory, libraries face increasing pressure to preserve cultural artifacts, traditions, and histories that are constantly threatened by erasure. In such a context, the ethical stewardship of cultural heritage becomes not just a professional responsibility but a profound moral mission for libraries.
At the heart of this stewardship lies the understanding that cultural heritage is not a static artifact to be stored away for future consumption, but a living, breathing representation of the identities, values, and struggles of communities. Libraries, as institutions that collect, preserve, and share knowledge, are uniquely positioned to act as guardians of these treasures, particularly for marginalized and dispossessed communities. In this post I explore the ethical imperatives for libraries in the stewardship of cultural heritage, with a focus on the role of libraries in protecting the stories of the oppressed and ensuring that these narratives are not forgotten or silenced.
The Ethical Responsibility of Preservation
Ethical stewardship of cultural heritage demands a commitment to preserving materials in a way that respects the communities from which they originated. This preservation process must go beyond mere physical conservation and extend to the preservation of cultural meaning, historical context, and the integrity of the knowledge itself. Libraries must take care not only to safeguard the tangible items but also to consider the intangible aspects of heritage —such as oral traditions, rituals, and beliefs— that are often difficult to preserve through conventional archival means.
Preserving cultural heritage requires libraries to navigate complex ethical considerations, especially when dealing with materials that belong to marginalized communities. The appropriation of indigenous knowledge or the collection of culturally sensitive materials, for example, raises questions about ownership, access, and the potential for exploitation. In some cases, materials may have been taken from these communities without consent or under duress, and their continued existence in institutional collections can perpetuate the historical injustice of their removal.
To ethically steward cultural heritage, libraries must prioritize the rights of the communities to whom these materials belong. This includes working with those collectives to ensure their voices are heard in decisions about the care, access, and use of their cultural property. In some cases, this may mean returning materials to their rightful owners or providing human groups with the means to control how their heritage is shared with the world.
Libraries as Guardians of the Dispossessed
For communities that have experienced dispossession —whether through colonization, war, forced migration, or economic displacement— libraries are more than just passive stewards of their heritage. They are active guardians, entrusted with the responsibility to protect and amplify the voices of the dispossessed. This role comes with a deep commitment to social justice and a responsibility to challenge the structures that have caused harm.
Libraries are often the only institutions with the resources and infrastructure to safeguard the historical and cultural artifacts of displaced or marginalized peoples. In conflict zones, for example, libraries have played a critical role in preserving manuscripts, photographs, and recordings that document the experiences of displaced groups. Similarly, in post-colonial contexts, libraries can serve as repositories for indigenous knowledge systems, ensuring that these traditions are not lost to history.
However, this role as guardians of the dispossessed also involves confronting difficult questions about the ethics of collecting and the potential harms of archival work. The act of collecting materials from marginalized communities often involves the library in questions of power — who decides what is collected, who has access to these materials, and what happens when these materials are removed from their context? Libraries must be vigilant in addressing the power dynamics inherent in their work and take steps to ensure that their practices do not perpetuate further harm or exploitation.
Community-Led Stewardship
A critical part of ethical stewardship is the recognition that communities themselves are the most qualified to decide what aspects of their cultural heritage should be preserved and how that heritage should be shared. Libraries can support community-led stewardship efforts by providing resources, training, and infrastructure to help people document and protect their own heritage.
Community-led stewardship involves empowering local groups to take the lead in preserving their own stories. In indigenous societies, for example, libraries can collaborate with local elders and knowledge keepers to ensure that oral histories are captured and preserved in culturally appropriate formats. In refugee camps, libraries might work with displaced people to preserve their cultural narratives through written, digital, or audiovisual records. By prioritizing collective voices and expertise, libraries can ensure that preservation efforts are meaningful and respectful of the communities they aim to serve.
One example of this approach is the creation of community archives, where individuals and groups are invited to contribute materials to the library's collection. These archives may focus on local histories, oral traditions, or social movements, and the materials are often kept in the people's own language and context. Archives are especially valuable because they reflect the lived experiences of persons who may not otherwise have access to mainstream archival resources.
Protecting Heritage in the Digital Age
The digital age has brought both opportunities and challenges for the stewardship of cultural heritage. On the one hand, the digitization of materials makes it possible to share knowledge across vast distances and ensure the preservation of fragile or deteriorating items. On the other hand, the digitalization of heritage raises concerns about accessibility, privacy, and the potential for exploitation. Digitization allows for wide dissemination, but it also opens up questions about who controls these digital versions of cultural materials, how they are used, and whether they can be accessed without proper contextual understanding.
For example, when indigenous knowledge or cultural artifacts are digitized and made accessible online, there is the risk of these materials being misused, taken out of context, or even exploited by commercial entities. Libraries, as ethical stewards, must carefully consider these risks and work with communities to ensure that digitization is done in a way that honors cultural sensitivities and respects the wishes of the community. This might involve setting up access restrictions, creating rights management frameworks, or working with community members to decide what materials are made publicly available and in what format.
Conclusion
Libraries are more than just institutions for storing books and documents — they are vital guardians of cultural heritage. As such, they have an ethical responsibility to preserve not only the tangible artifacts of culture but also the intangible traditions, knowledge, and histories that give those artifacts meaning. By acting as guardians of the dispossessed, libraries can help ensure that marginalized communities have control over their cultural heritage.
The stewardship of cultural heritage is not a passive act — it is a profound ethical commitment to social justice and the empowerment of communities. In a world where culture is constantly under threat, libraries must stand as vigilant protectors of the past, the present, and the future. They must resist the pressures to commodify or erase the histories of the marginalized, and instead, champion the stories, traditions, and knowledge that belong to those who have been silenced for too long.
About this post
Text: Edgardo Civallero.
Publication date: 22.04.2025.
Picture: "Aboriginal art". In Northern Territory [Link].