Understanding the library as a commemorative exhibition space

This research responds to calls to further our understanding of exhibitions in the library context (Rogatchevskaia, 2018; Fouracre, 2015) by exploring the significance of a commemorative exhibition staged in a public library. Employing a qualitative methodology, it centres on the 'Goodbye Dublin: The War of Independence in the City' commemorative exhibition, staged by Dublin City Pearse Street Library, between August 14 th and October 31 st , 2019. The findings show that the commemorative nature of the exhibition appealed to a variety of new, lapsed and frequent library users, connecting with Irish and non-Irish residents, as well as tourists visiting the city. In this regard, the exhibition was effective in its objective of appealing to a new and wide-ranging audience, however, the findings underline the need for more diverse and varied marketing, if this aim is to be entirely successful. The staging of the exhibition as an active authoring and articulation of the past by the library is highlighted, and the use of multimedia is seen to transform the library into an emotionally charged, dynamic and multisensory space. This facilitates an immersive encounter, involving interplays between the exhibition narratives and visitors' personal memories and interests. This offers different ways for visitors to engage with the library, inspiring them to find new meanings, explore issues of personal, collective and national identities, and to reassess contemporary events. Overall, the research makes an important contribution by highlighting the complexity and importance of commemorative exhibitions in the context of public libraries.

The main barrier for library exhibitions is that the communication system used in literature is completely different from the one of the visual arts. Consequently, major challenges arise when books and manuscripts become items displayed inside cases. Therefore, it is necessary to find alternative ways (to reading) in which the public can experience such material. But how can this be done? For conservation reasons, visitors cannot be allowed to freely handle valuable objects. So, what can be built around them to provide an immersive experience, while both preserving their natural function of literary material and protecting them from deterioration? This study identifies three main areas to improve visitor experience, each one connected to the other: a sense of Narrative, illustrated through different levels of Interpretation, facilitated by Interaction (physical, digital, social) both with objects and other people (i.e. other visitors, or staff members). Acknowledging the fact that exhibitions are complex systems and therefore it is not possible to define one model for all, this work focuses on a specific case study, the Treasures of the British Library permanent exhibition. The aim is to contribute to a better understanding of the needs of the visitors of library exhibitions. Data on visitors’ profiles, behaviour, and experience, were collected through tracking and post-visit interviews, and then analysed in order to address visitors’ needs and expectations. The main needs identified involve: a sense of narrative, which should address different levels of knowledge and perspectives; characterisation of the space, to be manifestly relevant to the material exhibited; sensorial experiences and information about the stories of the objects, to preserve the ‘hands-on’ nature of literary materials.

Festivals and the City: The Contested Geographies of Urban Events

In an increasingly digital age public libraries have had to adapt to rapid changes in how information is produced, disseminated and consumed. This has led to questions about whether their physical presence matters any longer. In addition, they have been subjected to public funding cuts which seem likely to be exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic as demands on the public purse intensify. In terms of governance, as with other public spaces, there are signs of a move away from direct state involvement to arrangements involving a range of social actors. Developments like this which see the state reduce its oversight and involvement with public spaces have generally been interpreted negatively. In this context, Capillé (2017, 409) noted the importance of investigating the ‘publicness of public libraries and their value for society’. This chapter reports the findings of a study investigating the kinds of publicness that libraries foster. Empirically, it used a qualitative open-ended surve...

Designs for Learning, 2014

The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 2021

The research on which the contributions in this anthology is based would not have been possible to undertake without the generous research grant our project received from the KULMEDIA program of The Research Council of Norway. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the council for their support. We would also like to express our gratitude to colleagues from the international LIS community who volunteered to peer review the chapters in this volume, thereby contributing in important ways to the quality of the papers presented in this book. Our gratitude also goes to the respondents who took the time to fill in questionnaires and take part in qualitative interviews, all the LAM-organizations who opened their doors to us and the users who accepted our presence when doing our observations.

Transforming Culture in the Digital Age, pp. 187-193, 2010

Current issues of Ukrainian linguistics: theory and practice, 2024

The article explores multimodality and interactivity at British museums exhibitions on occasion of the King Charles III and Queen Camilla coronation May 6, 2023. The research can be considered a significant contribution to museum studies, particularly in the realm of visitor engagement and education. Drawing on a multimodal discourse analysis framework, the study examines how museums utilise a combination of semiotic resources, such as visual, textual, audio, sensory as well as digital elements, to engage visitors both onsite and online. This analysis highlights museums as dynamic communicative spaces that challenge traditional discourse models by integrating interactivity, participation, and educational engagement, thereby reshaping how cultural heritage is presented and experienced. Through a detailed examination of five key exhibitions, Coronation Robes at Apsley House, Crown to Couture at Kensington Palace, Royal Connections: Crowns and Coronets at Blenheim Palace, the Coronation Display at Buckingham Palace, and the exhibition at the Royal Mews, the research demonstrates how multimodal strategies facilitate meaning-making, educational enrichment, and visitor engagement. The research offers valuable insights into museology, highlighting how digitalisation is transforming the way museums operate in today's world. The use of digital tools, social media platforms, and interactive displays is shown to enhance the accessibility and inclusivity of museum discourse, democratising the visitor experience. In particular, the concept of the participatory museum is explored, where visitors are encouraged to actively engage and contribute to the museum experience rather than passively consume it. The data includes photographic documentation collected by the researcher, illustrating the integration of multimodal resources within the exhibitions. The study contributes to the growing body of research on multimodality, interactivity, and education in museum communication, offering insights into how these strategies reshape visitor interaction with cultural heritage. The findings suggest further inquiry into the role of multimodal discourse in enhancing visitor comprehension, engagement, and learning, particularly within the context of evolving digital museum practices.

Library Trends, 2014

2024

Museums and oral history are both important means of how the public connect with history. Beyond simply determining whether or not this collaboration between museums and oral history can have a positive impact, the primary goal will be to examine the different ways museums use oral histories and what impact it has on audience engagement. Nano Nagle Place and its museum were used as the primary case study, but scholarship which includes examples from the wider Irish and international museum sector was also examined in order to better understand how the use of oral history collections in museum exhibitions has developed. Archival research was carried out in the Presentation Sisters Congregational Archives. Regular visits were made to Nano Nagle Place and I was provided access to some of the information they have gathered from a recent visitor survey. Two interviews were carried out with Dr Gillian O’Brien and Dr Danielle O’Donovan, both of whom have worked on exhibitions for Nano Nagle Place and have extensive knowledge of designing exhibitions with the public in mind. It was also useful to examine some other exhibitions, in-person and online to examine how they have used oral histories. The research has demonstrated that there is potential for collaborations between Irish museums and oral history projects. Growing awareness of the training opportunities available may also provide encouragement to museums looking to carry out their own oral history interviews. While guidance from museum organisations on the care of physical collections is important, there also needs to be more dialogue concerning the benefits of intangible material such as oral histories and the impact this can have on public interaction.

Public Culture 28.1, 2016

This short essay considers the increasingly nostalgic life of physical books. From immaculate leather- bound collections to “dummy” libraries, in private homes or department stores, since at least the mid- nineteenth century, old books have enjoyed past- directed affective relationships with users and consumers, communicating continuity with, appreciation of, and longing for aspects of time past. These relationships, falling along a spectrum from library- as- utility to library- as- simulation, can be mapped onto different kinds of nostalgic experience.