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Decolonizing my Library (02 of 15)

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Decolonizing my Library (02 of 15)

Confronting Colonial Shadows in Our Collections

The Impact of Colonial History on Library Collections

 

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

Libraries are often considered to be neutral spaces of knowledge and memory management. Yet, neutrality is a myth, and many of our collections carry the weight of histories steeped in violence, domination, and erasure. These are the colonial shadows that inhabit our shelves. They manifest in the very origins of the books, manuscripts, and artifacts libraries hold, in the narratives they preserve, and in the voices they fail to include.

The act of decolonizing our collections is, at its heart, an act of reckoning. As Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o reminds us, "the biggest weapon wielded and actually daily unleashed by imperialism against the collective defiance is the cultural bomb" (1991: 3). Libraries have often been the delivery mechanism for this cultural bomb, embedding imperial narratives into the very structure of our knowledge systems.

But confronting this history is not a process of destruction; it is a process of reimagination. What could our collections look like if they prioritized justice, inclusion, and community empowerment? What if we used them to shine a light on the silenced, and amplify the perspectives that colonialism sought to obliterate?

 

A History Written by the Victors

The colonial project was not just about exploiting land and labor — it was also about controlling knowledge. Colonizers sought to define the world, its histories, and its peoples through their own frameworks. Libraries ended up being tools in this effort, repositories not of neutral knowledge but of knowledge curated to justify and sustain domination.

Consider the looting of Timbuktu's manuscripts, which represent centuries of African intellectual achievement, or the removal of codices from Mesoamerica, burned in acts of conquest or transported to European libraries where they were cataloged as curiosities rather than respected as intellectual treasures. The British Empire, for example, amassed a vast archive of Indian texts, not for preservation, but to reinterpret them through a Western lens that would assert British superiority.

This dynamic was not limited to textual artifacts. Oral histories, indigenous languages, and different epistemologies were actively suppressed, deemed "uncivilized" or irrelevant by colonial powers. Walter Rodney, in How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, underscores this point, commenting that colonial powers sought to destroy cultural autonomy, embedding their dominance into the very way societies understood their own histories.

Libraries were key players in this process. They cataloged plundered knowledge, erased dissenting narratives, and solidified colonial perspectives in the minds of generations.

 

Colonial Legacies in Library Practices

The influence of colonialism extends far beyond the physical collections housed in libraries; it is deeply embedded in the very systems and practices that guide their operations. From cataloging methods to acquisition policies, many aspects of library work are rooted in colonial structures, often with subtle yet pervasive effects.

One of the most significant manifestations of this legacy is in the very systems used to organize knowledge. Western cataloging systems like Dewey Decimal Classification, for instance, reflect a Eurocentric worldview that marginalizes Indigenous knowledge. Indigenous histories, for example, are often categorized under terms such as "folklore," which serves to undermine their intellectual legitimacy and relegates them to the margins of academic and cultural discourse. This hierarchical structuring of knowledge does not just reflect biases in how information is organized — it actively contributes to the erasure of entire cultural and intellectual traditions.

The dominance of colonial languages further perpetuates these imbalances. Languages like English, Spanish, and French continue to dominate the global knowledge landscape, overshadowing Indigenous and minority languages. This linguistic hegemony not only alienates speakers of non-colonial languages but also reinforces global power imbalances, limiting access to knowledge and preserving narratives that reflect only a narrow slice of human experience. By privileging certain languages, libraries unintentionally diminish the value of other linguistic systems, contributing to the silencing of diverse voices.

Moreover, the scattering of cultural legacies due to colonial plunder has left many communities unable to reconnect with their own heritage. Stolen manuscripts, artifacts, and cultural objects remain dispersed across institutions and are often stored in inaccessible archives or exhibited in ways that lack the necessary contextual grounding. This dislocation and fragmentation of cultural heritage perpetuate a sense of disconnection, preventing many people from fully accessing the narratives that belong to them and their histories.

Colonial libraries were not merely places of accumulation — they were sites where the colonial order was written, rewritten, and perpetuated. Libraries, historically and even today, have functioned as instruments in the reproduction of colonial power structures. The legacies of colonialism continue to shape how libraries operate, often invisibly, in ways that benefit those who are aligned with the structures of power and disadvantage those who are not.

To begin the work of decolonization, libraries must recognize and confront these embedded structures. It is not enough to focus solely on the collections themselves; we must also challenge and transform the systems that govern their organization, acquisition, and access. Only by making these dynamics visible can we begin to dismantle the colonial legacies that still haunt libraries today.

 

Steps Toward Addressing Colonial Shadows

Decolonizing library collections is a complex, multifaceted process that requires a balance of reflection and action. It's not about erasing history, but about re-centering marginalized voices, amplifying their narratives, and challenging the dominant frameworks that have historically silenced them.

The first and perhaps most foundational step in this process is acknowledging the violent histories through which many collections were built. Repatriation and restitution are essential to this effort. Libraries and institutions must take responsibility for the ways in which artifacts, manuscripts, and cultural materials were taken without consent, often through colonial violence. By prioritizing the return of stolen cultural property, as seen in the growing movement for restitution —for example, the return of the Benin Bronzes— institutions can begin to repair some of the damage done. These acts of restitution, while not solving all issues, can serve as important gestures of healing, fostering a sense of justice and reconciliation with the communities whose heritage was once violently erased.

Beyond the material return of objects, decolonization also requires libraries to center Indigenous epistemologies in their collections and practices. Indigenous knowledge systems, which often rely on oral traditions, collective memory, and holistic, relational perspectives, offer powerful alternatives to the Western-centric paradigms that dominate most libraries. Libraries must acknowledge that knowledge is not a neutral entity, but a living, evolving force tied to the land, culture, and lived experiences of the people who create it. This means engaging deeply with Indigenous communities, amplifying their voices, and ensuring that their perspectives are represented in all areas of library practice — from acquisition to cataloging to public programming.

To make these shifts possible, it is crucial to transform the very systems that have historically marginalized these voices. The colonial biases inherent in traditional cataloging practices must be dismantled. Many of the world's most widely used classification systems, such as Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress Subject Headings, were designed from a Eurocentric perspective that excludes or misrepresents non-Western knowledge. Indigenous-centered frameworks, such as Mukurtu, offer valuable alternatives for organizing knowledge in a more inclusive and respectful manner. These frameworks prioritize cultural context, and emphasize the need to respect the intellectual property of Indigenous peoples. A decolonial approach to cataloging includes revisiting metadata, subject headings, and descriptive practices to ensure that they reflect and honor diverse cultural perspectives.

Equally important is creating space for community collaboration. Decolonization is not a solitary endeavor; it requires building partnerships with the communities whose histories, knowledge, and cultures have been marginalized. Community-driven projects allow libraries to better understand how Indigenous and other marginalized groups want their materials to be represented and shared. This collaboration must be rooted in mutual respect, with libraries actively listening to and learning from the communities they serve. Ensuring that community voices guide decisions about representation, preservation, and access is crucial to ensuring that decolonization is truly a shared and transformative process.

Finally, decolonizing library collections is not just about making changes to resources — it's about transforming institutional culture. Training library staff in cultural competency, anti-racism, and decolonial practices is essential to fostering an environment that supports and sustains this work. Libraries must cultivate a mindset that recognizes the need for continuous learning, humility, and active engagement with the communities they serve. Without this mindset shift, the work of decolonization cannot succeed.

 

Imagining Decolonial Futures

The journey to decolonize library collections is complex and ongoing, but its potential is transformative. By exorcising colonial shadows, we open the door to a more equitable, diverse, and vibrant world of knowledge. These collections can become platforms for resistance, spaces for dialogue, and tools for reimagining what libraries can be.

As Walter Mignolo explores in The Darker Side of Western Modernity, decoloniality aims to unveil what the colonial order has concealed and to imagine alternative forms of being, thinking, and knowing. Libraries, at their best, have the power to nurture these possibilities — if we are brave enough to confront the ghosts of our past.

 

References

 

About this post

Text: Edgardo Civallero.
Publication date: 03.12.2024.
Picture: "Decolonizing research collaborations". In Swiss Academy of Sciences [Link].