DOI: 10.34230/fiad.1811869 ISSN: 2587-2532

Palestine's Institutions of Memory: Libraries and Archives

İlker Çakmakkaya
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This study explores the roles and conditions of libraries and archives in Palestine as memory institutions operating under occupation, displacement, and systematic cultural erasure. Framed within the disciplines of Library and Information Science and grounded in a human rights perspective, the research investigates how access to information and cultural resources is impacted by structural inequalities and political constraints. Using thematic content analysis, key scholarly literature in English was examined to identify critical problem areas. Five interrelated themes emerged: social inequalities, political interventions, ethical concerns, human rights violations, and archival violence. These categories reflect the multilayered challenges faced by Palestinian memory institutions, ranging from restricted access to systematic archival erasure and the politicization of historical records. The findings highlight that these institutions are not merely passive repositories of knowledge but are deeply embedded in struggles over sovereignty, identity, and justice. In response to suppression, Palestinian communities have developed counter-archiving practices that preserve collective memory and resist epistemic domination. This study argues that library and archival policies in Palestine must be redefined within a human rights framework. International bodies and academic institutions should adopt proactive roles in supporting cultural resilience, memory justice, and equitable information access. Ultimately, memory institutions in Palestine must be recognized as sites of both vulnerability and resistance - where knowledge is not only preserved but actively defended.

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