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Hacking the Library

Hacking the Library: An Art in the Libraries Exhibition

View online exhibit 

Now up at WVU Downtown Library

Launch: September 12, 4-6pm, with Featured Speaker: Emily Drabinski, Critical Pedagogy Librarian at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She publishes and presents widely on topics related to knowledge organization, information literacy, and critical perspectives in librarianship. Drabinski edits Gender and Sexuality in Information Studies, a book series from Library Juice Press/Litwin Books. She is a contributing writer at TruthoutShe will serve as president of the American Library Association in 2023-24.

Artists Virtual Discussion: January 26, 12pm, via Zoom. Registration required here. Join 'Hacking the Library' exhibiting artists Jackie Andrews, Trudy Borenstein, Matthew Conboy, Chantel Foretich, Robin Miller and Xue'er Gao for an artists' roundtable and discussion on Zoom, hosted by Exhibits Coordinator and artist Sally Jane Brown.

hacking pic

The hacker ethos in the positive sense is about the ability to deconstruct and reconstruct information systems. Hacking starts with reconceptualizing libraries. Libraries are now beyond the book. As libraries evolve into a new sort of space --still a space for research, learning and study-- but also for community engagement and collaboration, library exhibits present a unique opportunity for both collaborating exhibitors and library users. Artists engage with libraries creatively through artist residencies, installations, using discarded library materials in their work, collaborative workshops, digital collections remixing, performances and more. Hacking the Library will present artwork that highlights the intersecting values that shape our libraries through an artistic lens, reflecting on challenges and definitions of libraries past and as we move into the future. To provide personal context, viewers will enjoy "Community Connections" from librarians across the nation who responded to the artwork.

Artists included: Jackie Andrews (Maryland, mixed media), Trudy Borenstein- Sugiura (New Jersey, book arts), Sally Jane Brown (West Virginia, drawing), Shan Cawley (West Virginia, painting), Matthew Conboy (Pennsylvania, digital), Chantel Foretich (New Mexico, sculpture), Xue'er Gao (Pennsylvania, book arts), Ryan Lewis (Michigan, video), Robin Miller (West Virginia, mixed media), Irmari Nacht (New Jersey, book arts), Chris Revelle (Arkansas, sculpture), Erin Tapley (North Carolina, sculpture) and honorary artwork by Liuqing Ruth Yang (West Virginia, mixed media).

Thank you to the scholars of the 2023 Fullbright Pre-Academic Program for researching and creating a libraries timeline to coincide with the exhibit!

Resource: Libraries History Library Guide

Exhibit Consultation Committee

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Exhibit Sponsors

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