IN_CONTEXT visits the Bodleian Libraries

Following the visit of our colleagues from the “We are our History” (WOAH) project (Link to project) at the Bodleian Libraries (University of Oxford) in May 2024 (Link to blog), two representatives from the IN_CONTEXT project embarked on a three-day reciprocal visit in early July. The visit was also made possible by funding from the Berlin University Alliance (BUA).

During a joint workshop at the Weston Library, Lars Müller and John Woitkowitz discussed the IN_CONTEXT initiative, which focuses on the digitization of collections from colonial contexts and the development of a virtual research platform. Central to these discussions were the possibilities for contextualizing colonial historical collections and the importance of collaboration with source communities. Colleagues from the Bodleian Libraries presented the outcomes of the “We Are Our History” project and provided insights into their work on collection descriptions of manuscripts to make the entanglements of libraries in various colonial projects of European knowledge institutions more transparent.

Throughout our visit, three key areas of focus emerged. First, we engaged in in-depth discussions on the topic of digitization in both the Bodleian Libraries and the Berlin State Library, with particular emphasis on manuscripts from colonial contexts in Asia and Africa. A second focus was on questions surrounding digital presentation and storytelling formats. In this area, shared interests between the Bodleian’s Digital Discovery team, the SBB, as well as the Centre for Digital Scholarship and Stabi Labs became particularly evident. The third focus involved discussions on potential collaborations in provenance research or the shared colonial history of the institutions.

The program was rounded off with a guided tour of the historic buildings of the Bodleian Libraries and the Commonwealth and African Studies section of the Weston Library, as well as a city tour highlighting Oxford’s colonial entanglements. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our colleagues at the Bodleian Libraries for organizing our visit and for the stimulating conversations.

The visit, supported by the BUA, deepened the exchange between both institutions and laid important foundations for future collaborations.