Muted Volumes: Book-Objects, Patterned Papers, and the Closed Stacks of Buhr

Event details
When

May 14 - August 28

Where
Clark Library Exhibit Space
Hatcher Library South, Second Floor, Room 260J
View building informationView floor plan
Event typeExhibit

This exhibit in the Clark Library rotunda focuses on handmade decorative patterned papers when exploring books stored at the library's Buhr Offsite Shelving Facility. Decorative paper, noticed when walking through the stack's aisles or surprising you when you casually flip through a book, can really catch your eye. But because the Buhr stacks are closed from browsing, the density and dimensionality of its nearly 3 million books are reduced to title searches on a screen.

As a response to these reflections, artist and library staff member Stephanie Osorio shares her handbound unopenable book-objects as symbolic stand-ins for forgotten books at Buhr — the books that don’t get a chance to be noticed. Along with the book-objects are the carved woodblocks that made prints to decorate them. Some books from Buhr that inspired this project with their original decorated patterned papers will also be on display.

View the exhibit anytime the Hatcher Library is open, and join us for an opening reception on Thursday, May 14th, 5pm - 6:30pm, for an opportunity to hear from the artist and engage with the book-objects.

Several books adorned with decorative paper.

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Library contact

Anna Rohl · arohl@umich.edu

Event contact

Stephanie Osorio · stysoso@umich.edu

Library events are free and open to the public, and we are committed to making them accessible to attendees. If you anticipate needing accommodations to participate, please notify the listed contact with as much notice as possible.

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