Vol 25 | No 2 | Spring 17
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The Department of Education and Outreach Brings You "Off the Shelf & On Display"

ImageIn February of 2017, the Libraries' Education and Outreach department piloted a book display project, entitled "Off the Shelf & on Display." Inspired by presentations at the 2016 National Diversity in Libraries Conference, "Off the Shelf & on Display" features research resources from the UCI Libraries' collection that raise awareness of social justice issues and reflect the UCI Libraries' commitment to inclusive excellence.

Furthermore, the display project aims to bring together librarians, members of student groups from across campus, and faculty to curate and develop content for each display. Faculty are encouraged to contact the Department of Education and Outreach if they would like to use the display as a platform to design a course assignment or project.

The inaugural display addresses Black Lives Matter. As the display's curatorial statement stresses, "[w]e were inspired by #BlackLivesMatter to highlight materials from UCI Libraries' collection that can help us to understand-and to resist-the pervasive racism in our society. Black lives matter-and in this display we celebrate the actual matter (e.g. art, film, literature, and music) created by and about Black lives and emphasize the diversity of Black material culture." Guests will therefore find a variety of materials featured, including Kevin Young's The Gray Album: On the Blackness of Blackness, the NAACP Papers (Modules 4 and 5), and scholarship by UCI faculty, including Nahum Chandler, Frank Wilderson, and Bridget Cooks.

Matt Roberts, Research Librarian for the Humanities and member of the UCI Libraries' Department of Education and Outreach, already notices the display's impact on students, "I visit the display from time to time to see if our patrons have checked out any of the books that we have selected. During such trips, I've been lucky enough to talk with students about the display, many of whom have been excited to see material off of the shelf and arranged in a way that addresses a topic that is of interest to them. In this regard, the display catalyzes important conversations and meaningful dialog with members of the community that we serve."

Patrons can find "Off the Shelf & on Display" next to the Langson Library New Books Lobby. Additionally, visitors can access the "Off the Shelf & on Display" Goodreads account to discover selected titles that appear in each display. For more information about each display and its featured resources, patrons can visit the "Off the Shelf & on Display" blog to learn more about the items on display, as well as the electronic research resources related to each display's theme.

To find out how you can work with us on future display projects, contact the Department of Education and Outreach: libeod@uci.edu