Penn Libraries Partners with Digital Library of the Caribbean

The Penn Libraries is now a partner of the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC), a cooperative repository of open-access sources related to the Caribbean and circum-Caribbean regions. It is widely regarded as one of the most important repositories of its kind. Partnering with dLOC demonstrates the Libraries' commitment to promoting access to distinctive resources and supporting post-custodial collecting. Thanks to this partnership, Penn’s Indo-Caribbean postcard collection is now hosted by dLOC and by the Libraries, making the material more discoverable and putting it in context with related material.

The Libraries' Indo-Caribbean postcard collection supports courses and researchers working on the Caribbean and South Asian diaspora. Postcards in the collection, dating from the late nineteenth century to 1975, depict Indo-Caribbean life and culture in Trinidad, British Guyana, Suriname, and Jamaica. The postcards in this collection were produced by various studios, largely for sale to tourists, and include portraits, scenes of everyday life, mosques and temples, and the houses and villages. Many depict Indo-Caribbean women and children in staged scenes, often dressed formally and adorned with jewelry.

The Penn Libraries is delighted for this collection to be hosted in dLOC and to partner in dLOC’s future planning and development.