{"id":1672,"date":"2020-10-08T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/?p=1672"},"modified":"2025-09-21T18:20:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T22:20:15","slug":"on-decolonising-book-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/2020\/10\/08\/on-decolonising-book-history\/","title":{"rendered":"On Decolonising Book History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\n

On Decolonising Book History<\/h1>\n\n
\n
\n
Andrea Reyes Elizondo and Jean Lee Cole<\/a><\/div>\n\n
in <\/span>Conference & Workshop report<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Discussions on how to decolonise academia\nare far from new. As\nscholars, we are keenly aware that the current privileged knowledge structures\nhave co-built the world we live in with all its shortcomings. Besides the wider\neffects of these discourses and narratives, the way in which we have studied\nbook history has also been affected. This was the larger topic that gave way to\nthe panel on decolonising book history that took place during SHARP in Focus<\/em>\non 15 June 2020 organised by Melanie Ramdarshan Bold<\/a> and Danielle Fuller<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The participants were: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marina Garone Gravier<\/a> (Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico), Priya Joshi<\/a> (Temple University), Jean Lee
Cole<\/a> (Loyola University Maryland), Kinohi Nishikawa<\/a> (Princeton University), Derrick
R. Spires<\/a> (Cornell University), and yours truly<\/a> (Leiden University). This post provides a very short summary of the points I heard addressed. I invite you to watch the whole roundtable here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Naming the elephant in the room<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The goal of\nthe roundtable was to start a conversation on how the problem of colonialism in\nbook history is seen\/ignored and experienced, and to exchange ideas on how to\ndecentre our field. We did not ponder or wonder if colonialism is a thing or\nwhether it is present in book history\u2013it is in fact a thing, and it is very\nmuch present. We did not recount personal\nexperiences, as there is no end to testimonials about colonialism once you\nstart listening for them. Our focus was specifically on how to decolonise book\nhistory scholarly practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The panelists offered six distinct approaches, yet the general consensus was that we need to be reflective on how our ways of thinking and working tend to replicate the structures that have supported colonisation. After all, the institutions that grant symbolic value to our research have been built on colonial epistemologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of us\nstrive to give a voice to those left out of historiographies: those on the\nperiphery, the subaltern, minoritized and enslaved peoples. Yet this approach\ndemands ethical awareness of how we use\/interpret those voices. We must be\ncareful not to exploit communities for our own academic gain, nor should we\nreplicate structures of oppression by simply \u201cadding them in.\u201d Instead, we\nshould recognise how these communities have used and understood print\ntechnologies and printed materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The audience also weighed in on what decolonising means to them. Some, for example, do this by developing a more inclusive concept of curatorial authority (Lisa Conathan, Williams College), while others avoid solely focusing on the coloniser’s point of view when teaching a course (Katherine D. Harris, San Jose State University).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How to untangle centuries of violence (and incompleteness)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Decolonising book history begins by \u201cdismantling the coloniser\u2019s logic, definitions, and structures,\u201d as mentioned by Derrick R. Spires. In practice this demands we look critically at how subjects and sources are organised, which bibliography is canonised, which sources are privileged, and which voices are heard or not owing to publishing gatekeeping. Plus, we need a counter discourse to tackle these issues\u2014e.g.: naming the \u201cmediocrity of replication,\u201d which prioritizes the same type of studies, or appealing to \u201cthe way things have always been done\u201d and tradition as standards of quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the\nmain subtopics tackled during the panel were archives and the implicit value they\nconvey. What counts as a valid object of study? What do archives say and\nsilence? Here, we discussed how knowledge is organised and privileged. But also,\nas Kinohi Nishikawa noted, we need to be mindful of our own centre\/periphery\ntrajectories when working between different repositories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strategies each of us has devised to deal with primary sources can be summed up in two courses of action. The first is to look beyond the sanctioned archives and focus on other materials and collections which may or may not have been organised as\/into archives. Examples can be found on Jean Lee Cole\u2019s studies on comics in the United States or Marina Garone Gravier\u2019s research on women\u2019s and indigenous printing practices in Mexico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second action is to use the existing silences and organization of the archives and turn this against them. According to Priya Joshi the researcher can also see \u201cthe archive as a contact zone with the past and with the barbarism that we might undo [\u2026] it\u2019s not what one reads, but how.\u201d In my own research (Elizondo), I compare the absence of books from inventories with the presence of other cultural objects in Colonial Mexico. Both strategies of approaching the archive seek to \u201cuncover\u201d what has been left out as worthy of studying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The different\nstrategies followed by the panellists have not been chosen by a difference of\nopinions on the best practice but on the availability of materials. Some\nregions and periods have left no other traces than the sanctioned archives, as\nnoted by audience member Devin Fitzgerald: \u201cin premodern China people routinely\nburned their papers\u2014so that “sub-altern” archive just doesn’t exist.\u201d\nAs historians we are used to these gaps, we just need to shift the focus and change\nhow we look at archives. This step alone will not suffice, and this process is\nmore difficult and complex than it may seem at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The elephant\u2019s cousin: resources<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another\nimportant aspect the panel raised was the disparity of resources, which is\npalpable not only between the Global North and South (for lack of better terms)\nbut within each country and region. These disparities are manifest in who has\naccess to reading and writing in journals, who receives a fellowship, or who\ncan travel and present at conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of\nthe differences in access seem to be caused mostly by the concentration of\nresources and network opportunities at elite Global North institutions. Cases\nmentioned by panellists and audience members included a reviewer returning a\npaper to a scholar in the South recommending they read certain articles or\nbooks that the local research library does not carry; a graduate student not\nbeing able to apply to a fellowship because they needed to finish paying off\ntheir student debt; or scholars not applying to conferences because of the lack\nof funding in their own institutions to travel abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roots of\nthese issues are systemic and therefore our actions as individuals will always\nbe limited in their effects. We can pass on articles to colleagues who don\u2019t\nhave access to those materials. Nevertheless, reviewers should be mindful when\nthey suggest readings. There can be prizes for the best thesis from a graduate\nstudent, but this won\u2019t help out those graduate students that have to work in\norder to study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These\nproblems demand not only that we reconsider how fellowships and prizes are\ngiven but also how the flows of knowledge are organised. Expecting scholars from\nthe Global South to submit articles in English in addition to the challenges\nthey face seems crass. Additionally, we must recognise that research in book\nhistory is an extremely time-consuming and intellectually demanding endeavour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

And now, what?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We exchanged\nmany ideas on how to decolonise the curriculum: which books we read and give to\nstudents, whom we cite, how to critically look at existing scholarship and its\nsilences. But we also discussed what steps we personally take and how we can raise\nour voices, whether we are in positions of power or just as colleagues to our\nfellow book historians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The participation\nfrom colleagues on the chat was heart-warming and gave us food for thought. For\nexample: on the issue of gatekeeping, Zachary Lesser noted that because book\nhistory and bibliography rely on technical knowledge \u201cthere are many people who\nwant to use that technical knowledge for exclusionary purposes.\u201d While Teresa\nZackodnik added, \u201cThinking that the differences between conceptualizations of \u2018the\nmaterial\u2019 in book history is one way to come at this gatekeeping. Material\nisn\u2019t only about the physical book.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We realise many book historians want things to change\u2014we want to be more curious, questioning, and creative in our research. This is not to diminish the research being done now; we want to improve it by expanding it and include as many colleagues and research subjects as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 2021 we hope the panel can take place again in the virtual SHARP<\/a>. In 2020 we solely broadcast a conversation that many book historians have been having with colleagues, mentors, and themselves. Let\u2019s continue this open exchange, figuring out how to do less provincial book history research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A small reading list<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During the\nconversation, panellists and members of the audience suggested some readings on\nthe subject. Although they can be found on the appendix of the video, they are\nalso listed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The text from Walter Benjamin on archives<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benjamin,\nWalter. \u201cTheses on the Philosophy of History.\u201d In Illuminations, 253\u2013264. New\nYork: Schocken Books, 1969.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/seansturm.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/06\/benjamin-theses-on-the-philosophy-of-history.pdf.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publishing gatekeeping<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACMRS\nArizona. \u201cIt\u2019s Time to End the Publishing Gatekeeping! – A letter from\nRaceB4Race Executive Board.\u201d Medium<\/em>,\nJune 11, 2020. https:\/\/medium.com\/the-sundial-acmrs\/its-time-to-end-the-publishing-gatekeeping-75207525f587<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope Wabuke\n(@HopeWabuke), thread on racism at the National Book Critics Circle. June 11,\n2020.  https:\/\/twitter.com\/HopeWabuke\/status\/1271125513243934728<\/a>. Thread also available at https:\/\/threadreaderapp.com\/thread\/1271076878745505794.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Letter to the Poetry Foundation from Fellows +\nProgrammatic Partners<\/em>.\nPublic letter. June 6, 2020. https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSf4u5Ns8Blz0gutuanOHF6I026Xi0dE9lT36HQtg5pDKeT5uQ\/viewform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dignidad\nLiteraria. An Invitation to Oprah Winfrey\nfrom #DignidadLiteraria<\/em>. Public letter. February 12, 2020. https:\/\/lithub.com\/an-invitation-to-oprah-winfrey-from-dignidadliteraria\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decolonising practices \u2013 describing and cataloguing<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fagnan, Luc.\n2020. \u201cDecolonizing Description: First Steps to Cataloguing With Indigenous\nSyllabics\u201d. Pathfinder: A Canadian\nJournal for Information Science Students and Early Career Professionals<\/em> 1\n(1), 33-40. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.29173\/pathfinder21<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farnel,\nSharon, Denise Koufogiannakis, Ian Bigelow, et al. \u201cUnsettling our Practices:\nDecolonizing Description at the University of Alberta Libraries\u201d. Google docs document<\/em>, undated. https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1sQkyOL-lhbxjtPketlhtLT9wmRlfQUnt682Q6qm5uzo\/edit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cataloging\nEthics Steering Committee. \u201cCataloging Ethics Bibliography.\u201d Unpublished\nmanuscript.  https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1bHtghhSL54PFlekIwnmHpF9O_2KR_GMq5GWIBgNLKDg\/edit<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Dorothy Porter\u2019s \u201cNegro Collection\u201d (1930)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helton L.E.\n2019. “On decimals, catalogs, and racial imaginaries of reading”. PMLA<\/em>. 134 (1): 99-120.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nunes, Zita\nCristina. \u201cCataloging Black Knowledge – How Dorothy Porter Assembled and\nOrganized a Premier Africana Research Collection.\u201d Perspectives on History<\/em>, November 20, 2018. https:\/\/www.historians.org\/publications-and-directories\/perspectives-on-history\/december-2018\/cataloging-black-knowledge-how-dorothy-porter-assembled-and-organized-a-premier-africana-research-collection<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the library world<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hudson,\nDavid James. \u201cThe Whiteness of Practicality.\u201d unformatted postprint. 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(lack of)<\/em><\/strong> Diversity in Academia <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adams,\nRichard. \u201cFewer than 1% of UK university professors are black, figures show.\u201d The Guardian<\/em>, February 27, 2020. https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/education\/2020\/feb\/27\/fewer-than-1-of-uk-university-professors-are-black-figures-show<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

de Brey, Cristobal,\nLauren Musu, Joel McFarland, et al. 2019. Status and Trends in\nthe Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups 2018<\/em> (NCES 2019-038). U.S. Department of Education.\nWashington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. https:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/pubs2019\/2019038.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRace\/ethnicity\nof college faculty. \u201d NCES<\/em> (Fast\nFacts). Accessed August 3, 2020. https:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/fastfacts\/display.asp?id=61<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underrepresented & UnderpaidDiversity &\nEquity Among Canada\u2019s Post-Secondary Education Teachers<\/em>. Canadian Association of University\nTeachers. 2018. https:\/\/www.caut.ca\/sites\/default\/files\/caut_equity_report_2018-04final.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On non-western types<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFace\/Interface:\nType Design and HCI Beyond the Western World.\u201d Conference website. Accessed\nAugust 3, 2020. https:\/\/www.nonlatin.org\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opportunities<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lingua\nFranca, an electronic imprint of SHARP that translates and publishes both new\nwork and work which has already appeared in languages other than English. https:\/\/www.sharpweb.org\/linguafranca\/<\/a>. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fellowships at The Bibliographical Society of America. https:\/\/bibsocamer.org\/awards\/fellowships\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrea Reyes Elizondo, Leiden University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jean Lee Cole, Loyola University <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discussions on how to decolonise academia are far from new. As scholars, we are keenly aware that the current privileged knowledge structures have co-built the world we live in with all its shortcomings. Besides the wider effects of these discourses and narratives, the way in which we have studied book history has also been affected. This was the larger topic that gave way to the panel on decolonising book history that took place during SHARP in Focus on 15 June 2020 organised by Melanie Ramdarshan Bold and Danielle Fuller. \u261b \u261e<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1673,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"wp-custom-template-post-template-reviews","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1889],"tags":[1915,1970],"class_list":["post-1672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conference-report","tag-colonialism","tag-post-colonial"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1672"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5690,"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672\/revisions\/5690"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sharpweb.org\/sharpnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}