Documentation Research & Training Centre (DRTC) 

Indian Statistical Institute 

8th Mile, Mysore Road, RVCE Post Bangalore, 560059 

Colloquium-1 

(2025-2027) 

Title- Where They Burn Books, They Burn People Too

Libraries and Genocide: The Parallel Destruction


Abstract:

Genocide is not only the destruction of people but also the deliberate annihilation of culture, memory, and knowledge. 

This colloquium examines the parallel relationship between genocides and the destruction of libraries, drawing on the idea that cultural erasure often precedes and accompanies physical violence. Libraries, as custodians of history and collective identity, have repeatedly been targeted during genocidal campaigns to eliminate records, suppress narratives, and sever communities from their cultural roots. The presentation explores how information is weaponized to enable systematic erasure, while censorship and ethical violations legitimize exclusion and violence. At the same time, it highlights the role of libraries as sites of resistance and healing, where preservation, access, and remembrance challenge attempts at denial and forgetting. 

By analyzing libraries within the context of genocide, this colloquium argues that protecting knowledge institutions is integral to safeguarding human rights, cultural survival, and historical truth.


Topics and Speakers 

Topic

Speaker

Introduction

Rasheedha Sulthana

Libraries as targets of genocides 

Anamika Venugopal K

Weaponization of information and systemic erasure

Madhu M 

Libraries as sites of resistance and healing

Greeshma KS 

Ethics and Censorship

Rakendu S

Conclusion

Fathima Nasreen


Coordinator: Dr. Biswanath Dutta 

Date: 28/01/2026 

Time: 03:30 pm 

Venue: DRTC Classroom (G-16), ISI Bangalore 



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 26/01/26, 20:41:59