Libraries as agents of decolonisation: Exploring the integration of indigenous languages into library services in South African public higher education libraries

In Africa, decolonisation remains a highly debated concept that aims to restore African identity and culture by challenging colonial legacies. Higher education institutions in Africa endorse the decolonisation agenda and continually raise their voices through growing campaigns to integrate indigenous culture, practice and heritage into society. Higher Education libraries in Africa, as support structures, have a critical role to play in the decolonisation agenda through the integration of indigenous languages into their services and resources. This corroborates with the resolution of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, which advocates for the revitalisation, preservation and promotion of indigenous languages. In addition, this article aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 10 (Reduce Inequalities) and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), by underpinning the importance of integrating indigenous languages into teaching, learning and research in HE libraries in South Africa. Within this context, the authors sought to ascertain the role of HE libraries in fostering linguistic diversity and inclusivity, thereby contributing to the decolonisation of education in South Africa. A qualitative approach was utilised using a desktop study to determine the level of integration of indigenous languages through the scanning of literature and document analysis. Based on the findings, the authors present four themes: (a) Collection Development, (b) Marketing Efforts, (c) Library Systems and (d) Information Literacy, which focus on the integration of indigenous languages into South African higher education libraries rather than preservation. Findings reveal that HE libraries focus more on the preservation rather than the integration of indigenous languages into library services and resources, such as collection development, information literacy, marketing and library systems. The article concludes with recommendations to stimulate further discussions and advocacy on the integration of indigenous languages in supporting teaching, learning and research at HE libraries.