Libraries and the Intersection of Power and Knowledge An Analytical Study of the Social Control Function from Michel Foucault's Perspective

Abstract

 Libraries are typically viewed as neutral spaces that facilitate free access to knowledge for all, but this perception overlooks the latent authoritative role they play in society. Drawing on Michel Foucault's theory of the intersection of power and knowledge, the article demonstrates how libraries function as mediators of empowerment and tools for social control. Through their classification systems, collection development policies, and access controls, libraries shape what is considered legitimate knowledge while marginalizing or excluding other forms of knowledge. The article explores how libraries contribute to shaping behavior, directing thought, and reproducing dominant knowledge systems. It concludes that, despite their status as cultural institutions, libraries play central roles in regulating the social domain within power structures, and proposes strategies for rethinking library practices to enhance epistemic justice, promote the right to access information, and resist invisible forms of institutional control.