Beyond the Display Cabinet: the library as a creative space

  • Alice Bloom: Academic Support Librarian, UAL Library Services
  • Pete Crollie: Academic Support Librarian, UAL Library Services
  • Chloe Spicer: Student

This Presentation starts at 14:30 in room T304. Back to Parallel Session 3

Brief description of session and activities

A student led project took place in the library at Wimbledon, during the week beginning 6th October, the first full week of the BA term and a series of events was curated and organised by third year students. Events have included making workshops (3D and zine creations involving books bought and brought for this purpose) and performance.

The project, entitled [contextual] Enquiry Service, stemmed from library collaborations with staff and students of the Print and Time Based Media course over the previous academic year, the offshoot of which has been a resolution to expand students’ creative engagement with the library beyond the display cabinet. The objectives of this resolution were to integrate the library into all courses within the college and to encourage students to claim the library as a natural extension of the studio - a creative space as well as a hub of knowledge and information. The aim was also to give students experience of curating.

The initiating theme has been library orientated, looking at ‘Library’ as concept and metaphor, and drawing on Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and the writings of Jorge Luis Borges.

Interest from other courses has now been raised and it is hoped that this will grow and come to fruition with such events, similar or diverse, taking place in future and on a regular basis.

Risks have been faced and taken into account e.g. maintaining the balance between innovation and the expectations of more traditional library users and the concerns arising from Book Art and the perceived issues of the ‘mutilation’ of books.

By and large however, the response was very positive and combined with first year inductions this initiative engendered and augmented a noticeable ‘buzz’ of activity of all kinds within the library.  

Will students be involved in the session? If so how?

Students have expressed enthusiasm for supporting such a presentation and would like to demonstrate how they have benefitted from the experience and how they see the way forward.  

What will participants take away from the session?

The massive value of sharing this and similar experiences within the University, with others engaged in innovation, plus the opportunity to demonstrate and discuss the possibilities open to the library as a cogent vehicle for education in the arts.