Historically, people from various countries have migrated from their homelands to different European countries in search of social and economic opportunities. These diverse groups of migrants have included, among others, students, professionals, citizens of former colonies, refugees, and asylum seekers, all from varied social, educational, economic, linguistic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, including members of the LGBTIQ+ communities. Academic libraries must work to diversify their collection development policies to reflect the richness of these groups. However, when researchers at Ithaka S+R surveyed 638 academic library directors in the fall of 2020 about issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), only 17% responded “yes” to the statement “My library has well-developed strategies to decenter white authors and/or racist content and center the works of authors of color and/or anti-racist content” (Frederick and Wolff-Eisenberg 2021).

This lack of strategies can be discouraging to the subject librarian, who often needs concrete guidelines/approaches for applying DEI principles to their collection development. Yet, it is this librarian who has the power to dive deeply into their subject area to build truly diverse core collections. This is especially true of European Studies, which privileges authors and histories from dominant national cultures and often fails to reflect global and diverse identities. Authors from underrepresented communities in Europe are more likely to publish at the margins, either with more minor experimental presses or using alternative forms of publication. While these materials are harder to collect, it is imperative to do so, so that our collections reflect the true diversity of the countries they come from and provide voices apart from those in the dominant national narrative.

Because each country/culture in Europe poses specific challenges for the subject librarian, we invited contributors to write case studies of a select group of areas, using their subject expertise to identify up to three underrepresented groups in their country or region of choice and propose a core collection of recent titles. These titles could be a starting point for libraries and librarians interested in building collections in these areas. While most titles represent cultural output from the last 20 years, focusing on literature, other resources—including oral histories, social media, fine and performing arts, historical and cultural materials, and various forms of artistic expression—were also considered, along with suggestions for readings that provide history/social/cultural context. Most importantly, the chapters discuss titles written by members of the underrepresented groups themselves, making sure their voices are centered or heard.

Concept of Identity

It is important to note that the concept of identity is complex. An individual or group may have multiple identities and may choose one or another identity depending on their social, cultural, and political situations. Identity is thus not static, but fluid. It is not defined by how others see an individual or group of people, but by how each may see themselves.

Coverage

This part of the Handbook covers marginalized groups/communities in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Each chapter provides a general introduction to the underrepresented groups the author has focused on, followed by a discussion of related core materials, community resources, and recommended resources. References and relevant links are provided at the end.

• Helene Huet’s chapter covers Black Francophone and French authors.
• Walter Schlect’s chapter discusses the works of Black Germans, LGBTIQ+ Germans, and Turkish Germans.
• Milan Pohontsch’s chapter focuses on the literature of Upper and Lower Sorbian authors in Germany.
• Aedín Ní Bhróithe Clements’ chapter on Ireland focuses on Black Irish and Irish Travellers (Mincéirs).
• Joannekke Fleischauer’s chapter on the Netherlands and Belgium discusses postcolonial literature, literatures of the Dutch East Indies and Suriname literature, and migration literature of the Netherlands and ethnic minority authors of Belgium.
• Kirill Tolpygo’s chapter provides an overview of LGBTQIA+ communities and relevant resources in the Russian Federation.
• Chella Vaidyanathan and Rebecca Malek-Wiley’s chapter highlights the works of South Asian British authors in the United Kingdom.

References

Frederick, Jennifer, and Christine Wolff-Eisenberg. 2021. “National Movements for Racial Justice and Academic Library Leadership: Results from the Ithaka S+R US Library Survey 2020.” Ithaka S+R. Last Modified March 17, 2021. https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.314931.