Relationship of libraries to power in Western democratic societies

Abstract

This essay seeks to examine the role of power, as exercised through the medium of public libraries and the corresponding profession of librarianship, in Western democratic societies. As products of modernity, libraries represent Western ideals of progress and self-help, and have supported the Victorian notion of the hierarchy of cultures that underpinned colonial processes. The discourse of Library and Information Studies (LIS) is critically evaluated, and the political and social contexts that shaped the development of the public library system in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and New Zealand are examined. The differences between each country lend weight to the position that the library is not a neutral entity but a contested space where cultural battles are fought. In recent decades, theorists have identified a social shift towards the paradigm of postmodernity. The transformative potential offered by this, and the accompanying social and economic upheavals, are examined in light of the power dynamics that were exposed in the origins of LIS. It is posited that LIS is in danger of uncritically adopting the marketplace ideology and continuing its participation in hegemonic processes, rather than seizing the opportunity for transforming power relations.