Three GSLIS master's students have been named the 2015-2016 recipients of the C. Barber Mueller Prize for Excellence in Exhibition Design, which is awarded annually by the University of Illinois Library Exhibitions Committee. The winning exhibits will be on display in the Main Library's Marshall Gallery this spring.
Kimberly Stelter’s exhibit, "Art Books and Bindings," will be on display in the Marshall Gallery through February 29. It features Chinese and Japanese books from the Ricker Library collection, illustrating the special features of flatbook construction.
Art books come in different shapes, colors, and bindings, and are made with different materials. Many books in the Ricker Library of Architecture and Art collection implement these variations of content and technique to create a unique visual and tactile experience. These variations not only enhance the aesthetics of the books but also the experience for the user by conveying more about the contents and subject. Examples of this can be seen in some of the collection’s Chinese and Japanese flatbooks, which are highlighted in this exhibition. Since flatbooks have a special construction compared to modern bound library books, the exhibition highlights these differences and give students another way to think about how books help them learn. It’s not just the contents that matter in learning and discovering, but also the presentation.
Leanna Barcelona’s exhibit, “A Snapshot of Women’s History at the University of Illinois, 1870-Present,” highlights milestones achieved by female students at Illinois. It will be on display throughout March.
The Student Life and Culture Archives preserves shared student histories across the campus and through time. This exhibit highlights women's history at the University of Illinois through photographs. In a world that is increasingly digital, the University Archives has made strides to keep up with technology's pace by digitizing over seven thousand photographs in the collection. This exhibit showcases that progress with a focus on women students, in conjunction with National Women's History Month—all photographs used can be accessed online by any user via the archive's website.
Abigail Connick’s entry, “Books Autobiographies,” highlights the physical lifecycle of books. The exhibit will be on display in the Marshall Gallery throughout April.
The Conservation Lab at the University of Illinois is a hidden part of the campus. Students and faculty know about the Library, but they forget that books fall apart. Many do not realize there is an entire department of the Library working to keep books usable. A few examples of broken books will be chosen from the discard pile in the Conservation Lab to highlight what can go wrong with books. Each book has a story to tell, and by encouraging people to listen to those stories, patrons will begin to comprehend the lifecycle of books—including how they are constructed, broken, and mended—and also recognize the importance of the Conservation Lab at the University of Illinois.