Keeping up with best practices: Library exhibitions at a university library in a small island developing state (original) (raw)
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Organizing exhibitions: A handbook for museums, libraries and archives
Archives and Records, 2015
Creating an effective exhibit is a challenging prospect at best. Whether it is a small exhibit or a large one, it takes a great deal of planning and organization. In her new book, Organizing Exhibitions: A Handbook for Museums, Libraries, and Archives, Freda Matassa has drawn from her considerable experience and expertise in collections management and museum practice to create a step-by-step guide on how to design and implement an effective exhibit that will generate interest and feature collections in new and innovative ways. Although the book focuses primarily on large-scale displays, the general theories and practices discussed can be applied to any size exhibit in any type of venue
The study employed case study approach and 29 libraries were represented. Data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire which was administered at Nigeria Library Association (NLA) Cataloguing, Indexing and Classification Section workshop held in Makurdi, Benue State in year 2013, and method of data analysis was simple percentages. The study revealed that majority of Nigerian libraries (62.1%) were currently involved in exhibition and displays, 69% of libraries hold only physical exhibition, 45% frequently hold exhibitions between 3 -6 months while others (58.6%) lasted between 1 -4 weeks. The purpose of exhibition include: education, awareness, increased sense of aesthetic and promotion of available resources. Lack of exhibition policy (96.6%), lack of display equipment (93.1%), lack of formal training 86.2%, and inadequate resourcesmoney, space (82.8%) were identified as inhibitors to library exhibition and displays in Nigeria. Physical exhibition and display is predominant. There is a need to explore the use of electronic resources, social networking sites and the Internet for online exhibition. The management of Nigerian libraries should provide exhibition guidelines, display equipment and materials needed for mounting exhibition, training for exhibit librarians and library schools should incorporate exhibition into the curriculum.
Library Exhibition: A Veritable tool for Promoting Collections and Services in Nigerian Libraries
This study investigated exhibition practices and challenges militating against it in Nigerian libraries. The study employed case study approach and 29 libraries were represented. Data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire which was administered at Nigeria Library Association (NLA) Cataloguing, Indexing and Classification Section workshop held in Makurdi, Benue State in year 2013, and method of data analysis was simple percentages. The study revealed that majority of Nigerian libraries (62.1%) were currently involved in exhibition and displays, 69% of libraries hold only physical exhibition, 45% frequently hold exhibitions between 3 – 6 months while others (58.6%) lasted between 1 – 4 weeks. The purpose of exhibition include: education, awareness, increased sense of aesthetic and promotion of available resources. Lack of exhibition policy (96.6%), lack of display equipment (93.1%), lack of formal training 86.2%, and inadequate resources – money, space (82.8%) were identified as inhibitors to library exhibition and displays in Nigeria. Physical exhibition and display is predominant. There is a need to explore the use of electronic resources, social networking sites and the Internet for online exhibition. The management of Nigerian libraries should provide exhibition guidelines, display equipment and materials needed for mounting exhibition, training for exhibit librarians and library schools should incorporate exhibition into the curriculum. Keywords: Exhibition, library service, Nigeria, Promotion, Exhibition Challenges
Curating Exhibitions in Academic Libraries: Practical Steps
2015
Curating exhibitions offers librarians an engaging means of reaching out to academic communities and the public. In addition, exhibitions provide a means of exposing hidden collections or showcasing art works by students and faculty. Together the librarians have curated ten exhibitions of varying sizes and in different locations. This paper will discuss and examine practical steps for curating an exhibition in an academic library. Two case studies highlight exhibitions of students’ art and virtual exhibitions.
LIBRARY USE EDUCATION A PANACEA FOR MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS
Monuments section 6 sub section 1c appointments of secretary, Directors and other staff of the commission. The Director of Research and Training shall be responsible to the Director General for co-coordinating research staff and research projects of the commission and the collation and publication of research material and training of technical staff of the commission. Museum
This research responds to calls to further our understanding of exhibitions in the library context (Rogatchevskaia, 2018; Fouracre, 2015) by exploring the significance of a commemorative exhibition staged in a public library. Employing a qualitative methodology, it centres on the 'Goodbye Dublin: The War of Independence in the City' commemorative exhibition, staged by Dublin City Pearse Street Library, between August 14 th and October 31 st , 2019. The findings show that the commemorative nature of the exhibition appealed to a variety of new, lapsed and frequent library users, connecting with Irish and non-Irish residents, as well as tourists visiting the city. In this regard, the exhibition was effective in its objective of appealing to a new and wide-ranging audience, however, the findings underline the need for more diverse and varied marketing, if this aim is to be entirely successful. The staging of the exhibition as an active authoring and articulation of the past by the library is highlighted, and the use of multimedia is seen to transform the library into an emotionally charged, dynamic and multisensory space. This facilitates an immersive encounter, involving interplays between the exhibition narratives and visitors' personal memories and interests. This offers different ways for visitors to engage with the library, inspiring them to find new meanings, explore issues of personal, collective and national identities, and to reassess contemporary events. Overall, the research makes an important contribution by highlighting the complexity and importance of commemorative exhibitions in the context of public libraries.
Understanding the library as a commemorative exhibition space
2022
This research responds to calls to further our understanding of exhibitions in the library context (Rogatchevskaia, 2018; Fouracre, 2015) by exploring the significance of a commemorative exhibition staged in a public library. Employing a qualitative methodology, it centres on the ‘Goodbye Dublin: The War of Independence in the City’ commemorative exhibition, staged by Dublin City Pearse Street Library, between August 14th and October 31st, 2019. The findings show that the commemorative nature of the exhibition appealed to a variety of new, lapsed and frequent library users, connecting with Irish and non-Irish residents, as well as tourists visiting the city. In this regard, the exhibition was effective in its objective of appealing to a new and wide-ranging audience, however, the findings underline the need for more diverse and varied marketing, if this aim is to be entirely successful. The staging of the exhibition as an active authoring and articulation of the past by the library is highlighted, and the use of multimedia is seen to transform the library into an emotionally charged, dynamic and multisensory space. This facilitates an immersive encounter, involving interplays between the exhibition narratives and visitors’ personal memories and interests. This offers different ways for visitors to engage with the library, inspiring them to find new meanings, explore issues of personal, collective and national identities, and to reassess contemporary events. Overall, the research makes an important contribution by highlighting the complexity and importance of commemorative exhibitions in the context of public libraries.
UCL - MA Dissertation in Digital Humanities: The Challenge of Library Exhibitions
The main barrier for library exhibitions is that the communication system used in literature is completely different from the one of the visual arts. Consequently, major challenges arise when books and manuscripts become items displayed inside cases. Therefore, it is necessary to find alternative ways (to reading) in which the public can experience such material. But how can this be done? For conservation reasons, visitors cannot be allowed to freely handle valuable objects. So, what can be built around them to provide an immersive experience, while both preserving their natural function of literary material and protecting them from deterioration? This study identifies three main areas to improve visitor experience, each one connected to the other: a sense of Narrative, illustrated through different levels of Interpretation, facilitated by Interaction (physical, digital, social) both with objects and other people (i.e. other visitors, or staff members). Acknowledging the fact that exhibitions are complex systems and therefore it is not possible to define one model for all, this work focuses on a specific case study, the Treasures of the British Library permanent exhibition. The aim is to contribute to a better understanding of the needs of the visitors of library exhibitions. Data on visitors’ profiles, behaviour, and experience, were collected through tracking and post-visit interviews, and then analysed in order to address visitors’ needs and expectations. The main needs identified involve: a sense of narrative, which should address different levels of knowledge and perspectives; characterisation of the space, to be manifestly relevant to the material exhibited; sensorial experiences and information about the stories of the objects, to preserve the ‘hands-on’ nature of literary materials.