Title: Pictures From an Exhibition: Curating Lift Every Voice at the University of Virginia
Abstract: Although academic library exhibitions have been referred to as "illegitimate children," 1 tangential to the chief mission of their institutions, literature on the subject substantiates their significance to both public relations and educational goals. 2 The latter objective, in tune with the fundamental service mission of libraries, is perhaps so widely touted because of its altruistic aspect. Yet interest in the forum as a showcase for public consumption of library treasures is often more pragmatic, arising in part from the need to broaden bases of financial support to compensate for a decrease in traditional sources of revenue. The incompatibility of these two goals poses something of a dilemma for exhibit designers and curators. Creating exhibits with a level of scholarship rigorous enough to engage the specialist will not necessarily attract large audiences; exhibitions must be comprehensible to both "the uninitiated as well as the initiated." 3 Yet, satisfying the public relations goal means drawing in large numbers of viewers, many of whom may have more interest in being entertained than in being educated.
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 4
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