Decolonization in Libraries?

As a non-library student, I was first baffled by the term “Decolonization in Libraries”. Judging from the word it seemed to be related to history and culture but I wasn’t sure. Through site visits and readings I became familiar with it and share my insights below. 

For those also unfamiliar, Decolonization is “identifying colonial systems, structures and relationships, and working to challenge those systems”(Essex, 2024). 

Decolonization in libraries is “the active identification and engagement with historical and modern colonial power by being transparent and actively re-contextualising library holdings” (Cambridge Library, 2023).

The main goal is to reconcile the gap and create an inclusive community. Decolonization is not merely integration of non-western cultures but rather actively acknowledging, challenging and adjusting past ways of doing things that were taken for granted. In other words, a paradigm shift. In the following sections I expand more on what libraries in the Netherlands are doing to integrate decolonization.

Vrije Universiteit

The VU Library Working Group is currently working on a project that replace offensive or racial metadata in library databases with appropriate alternatives. Despite ongoing efforts for practical intervention, this project has a lot to benefit from. Instead of being headed by doctorate librarians, through equal collaboration with students of color a wider serving solution could arise. Creating a continuous relationship with the effected individuals rather than assuming the censored library system is “good enough” is key to unravel the colonial practices. It is only when we sit down and take time to listen to the stories then we truly understand each other. Then we can revise and re-envision our existing organizations.

Decolonization Lab at the VU

African Studies Center, Leiden Library

The African Studies Center at Leiden Library incredibly created their African collection through direct purchase over multiple trips. They created an Information-retrieval thesaurus to uniquely index their collection. Since existing classification cases didn’t accurately represent the African literature, it was fascinating to see how the institution created a specialized linguistic tool to facilitate precise and comprehensive search and retrieval.

Glimpse of the ASCL Library collection

Macro vs. Mirco Efforts 

The reason decolonisation in public institutions is difficult to achieve is because it is also personal. The same information can trigger different things in different people, hence the “one fits all” fallacy. For example, the same LGBTQ themed materials in an Utah library triggered mixed reactions among patrons and employees. Patrons “complained” while the employees “spoke up” in support (DeMille, 2024). While it is crucial to make changes at the macro level in institutions, it is equally important to address decolonisation at the micro level through personal reflection.

Final Question

The underlying question is: How can we build a continuous effort for decolonization at both the personal and institutional level?

There will never be true decolonization but the least we can build a community by start listening.

For those interested in learning more:

• What It Means to Decolonize the Library

• The Crying Child On Colonial Archives, Digitization, and Ethics of Care in the Cultural Common

• What does it mean to decolonize a museum?