Touching the Past: The Power of Medieval Manuscript Facsimiles - Giovanni Scorcioni
Facsimile editions of medieval illuminated manuscripts provide students and enthusiasts with access to works of art in a close approximation of the experience of their original viewers. For non-specialists in North America, facsimiles open a window into a world otherwise inaccessible, the originals often being of restricted access in European collections. This paper explores the transformative experience of engaging with facsimile reproductions and discovering the value of physical objects in an era of digitalization. Through presentations at North American universities, I have observed the power of facsimile editions to ignite curiosity and develop an appreciation for art in diverse audiences.
My presentations to students have focused on the pivotal role of quality reproductions in the preservation of original material, the reproduction technologies employed, and the market for facsimiles. I have demonstrated that the production of convincing replicas by printing technicians parallels, in terms of creativity and skill, the work of the artists and craftspeople who produced the original objects.
During my presentations, I have noticed the spark in the eyes of students and librarians when confronted with high-quality reproductions of invaluable manuscripts. The initial reverential awe often transforms into joy and wonder once I explain that facsimiles can and must be handled to be fully appreciated. This tactile interaction allows users to connect with the experiences of those who commissioned and owned the original objects centuries ago, a vital component for a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the book.
The power of facsimile editions to inspire and instruct is becoming ever more valuable as the public is increasingly bombarded with images from medieval books presented in digital form, often without any indication of their manuscript context. The proliferation of easy access to digital surrogates of entire manuscript codices is a valuable aid to research, but the ability to intelligently analyze those images comes only from experience away from the computer screen.
The meanings of all images are contextually derived, and the physical and textual contexts of manuscript images are driving forces in their comprehension. The preservation of facsimile editions and the use of facsimiles in library instruction offer a unique haptic experience that transcends digital consultation.
Bookwork in Art as Contemplation of Information Literacy Concepts - Kendall Faulkner
Artists of various mediums have long had a strong relationship with the book: artists' books, books about art, and books as the vehicle for research and inspiration. However, in recent years, the book has emerged as a raw material from which art is created, encompassing all of the complicated symbolism inherent in the book as an information technology. Books and libraries are at once the distributors and gatekeepers of knowledge and culture. Removing or retiring books from the library is a controversial subject at best, from the standard practice of periodic deselection by librarians or the banning of certain books deemed "unfit" by individuals. Using books in their work allows artists to comment on these structures of knowledge and acceptability. Furthermore, the act of taking published books and painting, cutting, ripping, and even pulping them elicits a visceral response, be it a sense of blasphemy or nostalgia. This presentation will discuss artists such as Jodi Harvey-Brown, Thomas Allen, Brian Dettmer, and others who have used published books in their artworks, with a particular emphasis on Samuel Levi Jones. Jones uses old reference books (encyclopedias, textbooks, legal books, etc.) to focus the viewer's attention on what is left out. Two works, 48 Portraits (underexposed) and 736 Portraits, highlight the staggering lack of Black representation in the Encyclopedia that makes up their source material. While the encyclopedia may be from the 1970’s Jones invites viewers to consider what is still missing in how we currently consume information.
Let’s Get Physical: Course Reserves and a Communal Space for Creative Practice Research - K. Sarah Ostrach and Martha Hernandez Galvan
This case study explores the development of an alternative course reserve system for senior art students at a small, private research university in the southern United States. The library's standard reserves practice is e-preferred, offering digital access to required texts through Canvas. Physical books on reserve are on the first floor, near the main circulation desk, and are restricted to two-hour, in-library use only. The Fine Arts Library is located on the third floor and no longer has a service desk, removed in a 2019 renovation. The physical distance between the fine arts collection and the physical reserves shelf, and the e-preferred reserve policy are impractical in meeting the needs of faculty and students hoping to engage with fine arts materials in a dedicated space. Furthermore, students in art-related disciplines have provided feedback that the Fine Arts Library does not feel like "their" space, as it is often full of students from other disciplines studying. The current floor maps also designate a large portion of the Fine Arts Library as a quiet study zone, which is antithetical to the faculty's and Art Librarian's hope to encourage social and communicative engagement with the collection.
In Fall 2024, four Art faculty approached the Art Librarian to create a physical reserves display in the Fine Arts Library. Their goal was to provide students with hands-on access to contemporary art texts in a social space that encourages creative exploration. To address logistical challenges such as managing book circulation without a service desk and preventing the items from being reshelved the Art Librarian collaborated with the Access Services Associate to identify creative solutions. The project included modifying item policies, creating custom wrappers for the books, and designing a visually prominent, accessible display area using underutilized space where the former service desk once stood.
This presentation will outline the unique spatial and logistical considerations involved in establishing a decentralized reserve system, strategies for maintaining collection integrity, and the role of space in supporting research for creative disciplines. By the conference date, the project will have been fully evaluated, allowing for discussion of its successes, challenges, and potential for adaptation in other settings. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to support creative research through flexible reserves/display policies and purposeful use of library spaces.
Library as Site: Experiential Learning Within the Physical and Conceptual Space of the Library - Ann Holderfield
Inspired by discussions of site within the landscape architecture discipline, and thinking of site as grounding place of research, an art & architecture librarian and first-year branch library director shares how the library can be metaphorically considered as a pedagogical site that centers experiential learning for art and architecture students. She will share projects in which she has collaborated with faculty and students that take place within the library, such as a design build project for library furniture and an art book and zine fair in which graphic design students created marketing material, or through a book artist exhibit, as well as projects that she was not a part of, but discovered that faculty were teaching that related to the idea of library and/or books. These projects reinforce interest in the concept of the library, whether it relates to the physical space, books, experience of and community aspects of the library.
