International sagas of geopolitical strife and migration
Penn Libraries’ collections reflect the dynamism of migrations, movements, transnational communities, and multifaceted identities within our increasingly interconnected world. Blurring the boundaries of geopolitical borders, we strive to highlight diasporic groups, peoples from liminal regions, and multi-cultural exchange. Materials such as global Judaica, postcards from the Indo-Caribbean, Kurdish storytelling, and documents from imperial Japan, for instance, underscore the transnational complexities of the modern age. Documenting and preserving complex histories contributes to richer, more representative research and learning at Penn.
The Kaplan Collection documents commercial, social, religious, political, and cultural ties that connected Jews and the general public from the colonial era through the nineteenth century.
The Caroline F. Schimmel Collection of Women in the American Wilderness comprises over 6,000 works by women writers, including novels, short stories, poetry, works by Native American authors, travel writings, narratives of polar expeditions, captivity narratives, and works for children.
Renowned artist, writer, storyteller, children's book creator, and humanitarian Ashley Bryan created thousands of drawings, paintings, collages, and linoleum block prints over the course of his long and productive life.
The Global Comics Collection embodies the Libraries’ strategic priorities to collect and preserve global voices, and to make accessible materials related to borders and belonging.
Penn Libraries’ collection of Indigenous children’s literature from Latin America is modest but notable.