Dear colleagues,

We (Joachim Schöpfel, Niels-Oliver Walkowski, and I) are excited to announce the eighth lecture of the Open Divide Lecture Series 2025/2026. It will take place on December 17, 2025, at 5:00 PM (CET).

We look forward to the lecture:

🎤 “Beyond Institutional Boundaries: Shadow Libraries as Commons and the Future of Knowledge Preservation” by Zakayo Kjellström

👉 Abstract:

Zakayo’s lecture draws upon findings from his PhD project, https://umu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1953321&dswid=4084, which aimed at understanding, mapping and analysing shadow library websites. During the lecture, an exploration of the ecosystem of shadow libraries is given. The talk will provide a brief overview of major platforms, including LibGen, Sci-Hub, Anna’s Archive, Z-library, AAAARG, UBU, and MOTW, to provide a basis for understanding the constituent parts of the shadow library community. Using the “Commons” as a primary theoretical lens, the presentation analyses how these platforms operate to create and sustain novel digital commons. The presentation’s primary purpose is to explore how dissemination and preservation function as the two core, inseparable activities within the shadow library. The lecture concludes by examining two specific case studies: Z-library and Anna’s Archive. These two cases illustrate how shadow libraries are not only symptoms of a broken system, but innovative platforms for exploring new ways to organise, disseminate and preserve digital text.

👉 About Zakayo Kjellström

Zakayo Kjellström is currently a Research Officer at the Swedish Agency for the Media. He has a PhD in Media Studies and has previously worked extensively on academic piracy. In his current role, he leads a project that aims to understand how children and young people relate to, strategise and cope with digital risks.

👉 Register here:

https://unilu.webex.com/weblink/register/r08cc897f355e4874f6cc5ce7298043ce

👉 Please also see the full overview of upcoming talks in the series:

https://opendivide.hypotheses.org/open-divide-2025-2026-speakers-and-topics

We’re very much looking forward to the contribution by Zakayo and the opportunity to welcome participants from around the globe!

Best regards,

Ulrich Herb