Ensuring that exhibits become part of a programmatic approach to outreach was the big take-away from this morning’s session. I proposed and coordinated this session because I was surprised after last year’s SAA how few sessions address the topic of exhibitions.
Celia Walker of Vanderbilt University started the session by encouraging us to think about exhibits from a discovery and insight perspective. How can exhibits enhance our users’ discovery of our collection maters? And how do exhibits offer insight into collections?
Dough McElrath of the University of Maryland shared his thoughts on turning an ad hoc exhibits into a full program. Perhaps most importantly, he emphasized how crucial it is to have exhibit related expenses as line items within a special collections budget.
I shared how at the University of Rochester we’re closely tying our exhibit and outreach efforts to the curriculum and larger university goals and mission. Through pop up exhibits, displaying objects during library events and lectures, as well as creating programming based on exhibit themes and content, ensures our exhibits have a greater impact on our users.
Jessica Lasher-Feldman of LSU offered the idea of developing an exhibits roundtable and is interested in garnering support from members. She called our attention to the lack of archival training for exhibit work, and how the workshops she’s put together and her recent book, are helping to close this gap.
How do you exhibits connect with your institution’s mission? What questions do yo have for creating an exhibits program?