Building Inclusive Archives: Expanding Academic Library Collections to Document Underrepresented Community Histories

Abstract

This paper explores how the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Library has developed the Korean War Archive through a process of community collaboration and locality documentation. The project originated from a partnership between the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA), Hawai‘i Chapter 1, and the Korean Consulate in Honolulu, which began in late 2023. Unlike institutional archives developed solely within academic settings, this project demonstrates how an overseas university library can serve as a bridge between scholarship and the lived experiences of a local community. The Hawai‘i Korean War Veteran Collection was built not through formal acquisitions or research grants, but through direct engagement with veterans, their families, and the local Korean community, many of whom share deep historical and emotional ties to both Korea and Hawai‘i.

By highlighting this case, the paper argues that community-based archiving represents a powerful approach for libraries to extend their role beyond the academic sphere into the social and cultural life of their communities. Although grounded in archival principles, the project also embodies a practice of locality documentation—recording the intersections of geography, identity, and memory across national boundaries. This paper traces the project’s evolution, from its inception and relationship-building to the collection, preservation, and digitization of records, and finally to its use in education and outreach. It concludes by reflecting on how such collaborations can reshape the mission of academic libraries in documenting marginalized histories and transnational experiences.