Otherwise Known as the Sex Museum After my younger sister’s first twenty-four hours in Amsterdam, it was time for her to lock in. Historical Canal Cruise to Set the Tone This image was taken before a man said what never needed to be said.  We went on a canal cruise like true locals and learned Read More…

Is Decolonization Possible in Spaces Built by and for Colonizers? ”Thus coloniality survives colonialism. It is maintained alive in books, in the criteria for academic performance, in cultural patterns, in common sense, in the self-image of peoples, in aspirations of self, and in so many other aspects of our modern experience. In a way, as Read More…

Site Visit: Hell on Earth I made a deal with the Devil this weekend. First, I lost a game of Russian Roulette. I’m not sure how you snoopers* play, but in this version our program director scheduled a three day weekend and encouraged us to travel. Accepting the risk in hopes of emerging from a Read More…

Site Visit On 20 June 2024, our class spent four hours learning the history, current learning processes, and decolonizing future of Vrije Universteit. When we arrived, we met Curator of Academic Heritage, Eline Bos, who gave us a brief history of the university’s founding. She then led a historical object learning exercise by giving groups Read More…

Site Background On June 19, 2024, or what I am reading as 19 June 2024 around town, our program started off strong with site visits to two branches of the OBA (Amsterdam Public Library). Our day began at 9:20am in the hotel dining area before we embarked on an efficient public transit journey to the Read More…

WARNING This blog is semi-consensual as it is an assignment from the University of Washington Information School Innovation in Dutch Designs: Libraries, Museums, and Information services program but I, Steffi Ando, am an able and willing participant. The following posts will consist of reflections in a semi-narrative format with less reliance on the prefix, “semi,” Read More…

If you’re in the market for a good time*, make yourself at home.   *good time (n.): a reflection on innovation in Dutch galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. e.g. Steffi, an MLIS student at the University of Washington, was known for subjecting her peers to a good time at parties, despite no one asking for Read More…