Canon noun: A standard; criterion; an authoritative list; a basis for judgment
Wyrick, D. B. (1998). Fanon for beginners. New York, NY: Writers and Readers.
Whether canons are artistic or literary works, they are lauded as the standards to which many library and museum collections are molded to reflect the dominant culture’s “natural”, “national”, and authorized heritages, histories, and ways of ordering the world. Canons symbolize superior taste and high culture, but unless cultural, ethnic and gender minorities (groups with less political and social power) actively engage in professional discussions that object to the prioritization of the “timeless” traditional Western canons in collections development, their culturally significant narratives might be excluded. Librarians and cultural heritage professionals are becoming more diverse and have greater opportunities to decide what is accessible, important, and worthy to be preserved. Many academic libraries are excellent examples of how intellectually diverse librarians, faculty, staff, researchers, and students contribute to the development of representative collections. Let’s join the conversation! Please check out these books and articles to learn more about this issue:
Bona, Mary Jo.Maini, Irma. (Eds.) (2006)Multiethnic literature and canon debates. Albany : State University of New York Press.
The Academic Librarian and the hegemony of the Canon
Academic Libraries and the Culture Wars: The politics of Collection Development
Academic Libraries and the Remaking of the Canon: Implications for Collection Development Libraries
Some implications of the canon debate for collection development
Wyrick, D. B. (1998). Fanon for beginners. New York, NY: Writers and Readers.
This book might also be informative.
Bona, M. J., & Maini, I. (2006). Multiethnic literature and canon debates. Albany: State University of New York Press.