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Decolonizing my Library (01 of 15)

Dismantling the Empire of Knowledge

Understanding Decolonialism in Libraries

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

What if the very institution meant to democratize knowledge is also silently upholding systems of oppression?

Libraries, often idealized as neutral spaces, have long been heralded as guardians of knowledge and memory. Yet neutrality is a myth. Libraries are inherently political — they reflect the values, hierarchies, and power dynamics of the societies they serve.

Or, more precisely, of the hegemonic powers in those societies.

Decolonialism offers a framework to confront this reality, urging us to dismantle structures that perpetuate historical injustices and inequities. Frantz Fanon's warning is a sobering reminder of this imperative: "Imperialism, which today is waging war against a genuine struggle for human liberation, sows seeds of decay here and there that must be mercilessly rooted out from our land and from our minds" (2004, 181). Libraries, as memory institutions, must engage in this introspection. The process of decolonization is not only about addressing the physical contents of libraries but also their underlying philosophies and practices.

Colonialism's Legacy in Knowledge Systems

Colonialism was not merely a project of economic exploitation; it was (and, actually and sadly, still is) a profound reordering of how knowledge and memory were created, valued, managed, and disseminated. The empires of Europe sought to impose their understanding of the world as universal while erasing or devaluing other epistemes — other ways of knowing.

This erasure is most evident in the sidelining of indigenous oral traditions — and other knowledge-related materials (pottery, basketry, body painting...). Knowledge that existed in song, ritual, artifacts, and memory was deemed ephemeral and "uncivilized" compared to the written word. Colonial administrations justified their dominance by framing their systems of thought —philosophy, science, literature, art— as superior.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o writes of this in Decolonising the Mind: "The effect of a cultural bomb is to annihilate a people's belief in their names, in their languages, in their environment, in their heritage of struggle, in their unity, in their capacities and ultimately in themselves" (1991, 3). The cultural bomb of colonialism is one that libraries still struggle to defuse, as their collections and practices often mirror these destructive hierarchies.

Additionally, objects, manuscripts, and knowledge systems were looted from colonized regions and "preserved" in imperial libraries and museums. While these institutions often claim they were rescuing these items, the reality is they were stripping them from their cultural contexts and communities. For without their own knowledge and social memory —the basis for identity and history—, subjugated societies can be kept that way.

Libraries' Role in Perpetuating Colonial Narratives

Libraries, whether intentionally or not, became tools of empire. Their acquisition policies during the colonial era (and even today) followed the same extractive logic as resource plundering. Manuscripts and codices —some sacred, others deeply tied to cultural identity— were taken under the guise of protection. Many of these collections, now in major global institutions, still remain inaccessible to their communities of origin, perpetuating cycles of dispossession.

Cataloging systems like the Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Classification exemplify how these biases persist. Dewey's system, for example, prioritizes Christianity in the 200s section while relegating other religions to "Other." Similarly, knowledge from the Global South is often categorized as "regional" or "local," positioning Western perspectives as the default.

Linda Tuhiwai Smith, in Decolonizing Methodologies, critiques this imbalance: "The globalization of knowledge and Western culture constantly reaffirms the West's view of itself as the center of legitimate knowledge, the arbiter of what counts as knowledge and the source of 'civilized' knowledge" (2008, 63). Libraries must actively confront and disrupt these embedded narratives.

Shifting the Lens: Why Decolonialism Matters for Libraries

Decolonialism in librarianship is not about rejection but reinvention. It challenges us to rethink the very foundations of our practices: How do we define knowledge? Who decides what is valuable enough to collect and preserve? Whose voices are missing from our collections?

Walter Mignolo's concept of delinking offers a vision for this reinvention: "Decoloniality in the specific sense of delinking from the colonial matrix of power" (2011, 74). Libraries must delink from their colonial foundations and embrace alternative models of knowledge. This involves not only diversifying collections but also questioning the systems that define "diversity" in the first place.

Audre Lorde's assertion in Sister Outsider —"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house"— reminds us that surface-level changes are insufficient, and that solutions to non-hegemonic problems are unlikely to arrive from the hegemonic powers.

Adding a few non-Western texts to a collection does little if the overarching structure continues to privilege Western epistemologies. True transformation demands a fundamental rethinking of how libraries operate.

A Step Towards Change

Decolonizing libraries is not a quick fix but an ongoing process.

One that begins with critical self-reflection: Who owns the narrative? It is necessary to examine collections for dominant perspectives and ask ourselves which voices are marginalized or missing.

What biases shape cataloging systems? We need to advocate for classification reforms that prioritize equity.

And, finally, how are communities engaged? We have to move beyond tokenism (the practice of making a symbolic effort to include underrepresented groups, often without making meaningful changes or providing real opportunities for participation or equality) by collaborating with underrepresented groups in meaningful ways.

As custodians of memory, librarians must recognize our power —and our responsibility— to shape knowledge. Decolonialism challenges us to envision libraries not as static repositories but as dynamic spaces of resistance and transformation.

Decolonialism isn't just about what's on the shelves — it's about whose voices are heard, whose stories are centered, and whose knowledge is preserved for future generations.

References

• Fannon, Frank (2004). The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press.
• Lorde, Audre (2007). Sister Outsider. New York: Crossing Press.
• Mignolo, Walter D. (2011). The Darker Side of Western Modernity: Global Futures, Decolonial Options. Durham & London: Duke University Press.
• Thiong'o, Ngũgĩ wa (1991). Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. London: James Currey Ltd.
• Tuhiwai Smith, Linda (2008). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. London & New York: Zed Books Ltd.

About this post

Text: Edgardo Civallero.
Publication date: 26.11.2024.
Picture: "Decolonizando el conocimiento y las estéticas". In Decolonizando [Link].