RBMS 2019 Conference

The Leab Awards were begun in 1987 to promote exhibitions of library and archival materials, and to recognize excellence in the publication of accompanying catalogues and brochures. Since then, the section and the profession have undergone profound and exciting changes in demographics, resources, and core values. In the coming year, the Exhibition Awards Committee will review the Leab Awards criteria to ensure it continues to respond to and encourage practices and values important to the section and the profession, especially the section’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Meanwhile, the current ACRL/RBMS Guidelines for Interlibrary and Exhibition Loans of Special Collections Materials are also due for an update. As archives and special collections materials are exhibited with increasing frequency in museums and galleries, special collections curators and collection managers find themselves devoting significant time to facilitating exhibition loans to various institutions. While lending to exhibitions provides a valuable opportunity to promote awareness and interaction with collections, preparing collection materials for loan is a complicated, collaborative process which requires input from numerous departments inside and outside the repository.

This participant-driven session will provide a forum for discussion about exhibition planning from concept to practice, covering both loans and exhibitions hosted by one’s home institution. The resulting information will be incorporated into the work of the Exhibition Awards committee to ensure the Leab Awards reflect realities and futures of library exhibitions, as well as passed on to the Task Force to Update the Guidelines for Exhibition and Research Loans. 

Throughout the session, we will engage with questions of sustainability and environmental impact. We will generate ideas for alternatives to traditional components of exhibition prep and loans like paper, foam core, and packing and fuel during transport, as well as discuss ways to re-envision exhibitions themselves in light of climate change, as we assess the environmental impact of digital and physical exhibitions and catalogues. The goal of the session is to generate a set of ideas for reformulating libraries’ approach to exhibitions, both at home and when on loan, to support an inclusive and ecologically aware future.