Presentation
Wednesday, February 7th from 3:00pm to 5:30pm
Join us to tour Rule N° 5, The Library Is a Growing Organism, an interactive audiovisual installation currently on view at NYU Libraries.
"A library is a growing organism," reads the fifth "rule" of library science as penned in 1931 by S.R. Ranganathan. In a world where "library" and "book" have taken on vast new meanings, it's the last of Ranganathan's five guiding principles that prompts us to continuously respond to our environment and deeply interrogate the ways we curate, collect, organize, and preserve information for generations to come.
As much as the home to all the world's memory has changed since 1931, one aspect of the Library has remained constant: it is created and maintained by workers who, more often than not, remain unseen and under-recognized. While many books investigate the history and cultural meanings of libraries, popular titles are frequently authored by scholars external to the diverse and intricate work that happens within their walls. Rule N° 5, by contrast, is a collaboratively-created installation that centers the voices of the workers at the heart of these institutions.
Rule N° 5 is an interactive audio experience: we invite you to open doors and drawers, plug in, and push buttons to explore and contemplate what it means to collect the world's knowledge, preserve the past, and shape the future. Tune into transmissions from the magical, mysterious, complicated, and controversial world of libraries.
Planning your visit:
- Meet at NYU Libraries main lobby, 70 Washington Square South
- Visitors must register at least 1 week in advance
- Visitors must show ID upon arrival
Before the tour, Amanda Belantara & A.M. Alpin, co-creators of the installation, will provide a brief introduction. After guests have had time to explore the installation, we will reconvene for a Q&A.
Following the tour, we will gather at a nearby space to discuss the exhibition and connect with colleagues.
Please note: Space is limited, so if you’ve secured a spot but then find you’re unable to join, please let us know so we can open your spot to someone on the waitlist.