Epistemicide Beyond Borders

Abstract

This conceptual research examines epistemic injustices in library and information science (LIS) due to the power imbalance between Western and non-Western LIS curricula, theory, and practice. It is equally critical to consider the presence of epistemic injustices in adjacent LIS domains (e.g., classification, preservation, digital scholarship); for if we work to prioritize access or digitize materials without considering historical oppression, we are at risk of perpetuating these same injustices. In this work, we utilize the concept of epistemic harm to understand the international dimension of epistemic injustice. This paper introduces the concept of critical international librarianship, which we define as recognizing, examining, critiquing, and subverting the power structures and hegemonies in library and information systems that exist among two or more nations in practice, pedagogy, and research. Critical international librarianship serves as an intervention for epistemic injustices. It provides a direction for the practitioners and researchers who pursue critical international librarianship to move toward a long-overdue epistemic justice in international LIS.