Jane Carlin (University of Puget Sound, Washington)

From the moment Gutenberg’s Bible was set to print, books have played a role in shaping society.  The enduring legacy of the book as a powerful vehicle for social transformation is just as significant today as it was over five hundred years ago.   Artists’ books can be powerful vehicles for social change and activism and provide art libraries the opportunity to contribute to dialogues of diversity, inclusion and social justice.  Artists’ books encourage viewers to engage with issues of prejudice, discrimination and identity as well as offering a unique and intimate format for personal narrative and storytelling.  This presentation will address the evolution of the artists’ book and focus on a body of contemporary international work that addresses current social and political issues such as diversity, equality, migration, immigration, civil rights, gender and more.  The presentation will then explore how artists’ books can be used in conversations in and out of the classroom and in the community to address difficult topics head on. Artists’ books have been used to effectively teach critical thinking, encourage discovery of interdisciplinary connections and prompt consideration of relationships between text and image.   Examples of how artists’ books are being used in community discussions to foster conversations about complex social issues will be shared, as well as how artists’ books have been integrated into a variety of academic disciplines at the University of Puget Sound which can easily be translated to other academic and public forums.  I will highlight how the use of small groups to examine books can generate thoughtful and reflective conversations by asking participants to respond to prompts such as:  What issues of identity are being explored?  How is cultural competence being developed? How is the text structured to powerfully engage readers? What message is the creator trying to get across? How does this book make you feel about the topic? How would you describe this book to someone?

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Promoting opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members to engage with and discuss artist’s books provides a unique occasion for librarians to showcase collections, contribute to conversations on diversity and inclusion and partner with artists and writers.  Most importantly, it can demonstrate the relevance of our collections as well as promote the enduring power of the book as a catalyst for social change. 

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Jane Carlin is Library Director at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, United States.  She has worked as an art librarian in many universities (including the UK) and completed postgraduate work at the University of Wales. Her thesis, A History of Art Book Publishing the Great Britain, has served as the foundation for many classes and programmes associated with the history of the book and artists’ books.  She is Vice President of the Puget Sound Book Artists association, and has curated numerous exhibitions associated with artists’ books with an emphasis on social justice issues.