Libraries as Preservers and Disseminators of Information Related to the Colombian Conflict and the Truth Commission Report

The Colombian armed conflict, which has lasted over six decades, has left a deep impact on the country and over 8 million victims. As Colombia slowly moves towards a post-conflict era, documenting and preserving the truth about the events that occurred during the conflict is crucial for the country's reconciliation and future development. The Colombian government established the Truth Commission to investigate and document human rights violations committed during the conflict. However, the dissemination of this information to the public remains a significant challenge. This paper examines the role of libraries in preserving and disseminating information related to the conflict and, specially, the Truth Commission's report, which was published last year. The paper poses the question: how are libraries contributing to the dissemination of information related to the Colombian conflict, and what challenges do they face in doing so? To answer this question, the paper collects several strategies created by libraries and draws on interviews with librarians from institutions such as the Library of the Central Bank of Colombia and the National Center of Historical Memory. The paper argues that libraries play a critical role in disseminating information related to the Colombian conflict Furthermore, the paper identifies several challenges faced by libraries in the process and the solutions they have found to overcome them. These include: the importance of approaching the conflict from a human and ethical perspective, the use of technologies to reach remote communities, the need for interdisciplinary training for librarians, the importance of creating accessible narratives for the public, and collaborating with both public and private actors to enrich the work of libraries. The findings of this study have implications for other conflict zones around the world, as they shed light on libraries’ best practices and lessons learned in the pursuit of a lasting peace.