Library as Laboratory class creates library “leaves” project

Have you noticed the “leaves” that are sticking out of our stacks? These leaves were placed there by students in Andrew Yang’s Library as Laboratory: Experiments in Eco-Geo-Social Research class. The leaves call attention to items in one of five collections curated by the students. The themes for the collections are: Old and New, Speculative Play, Death;), Germinating Revolutions, and How to Live. The decorated carts on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd floors hold booklets containing the annotated bibliographies for each theme. As described in the booklets, the annotated bibliographies “highlight rich collections that can be made across (what we might otherwise consider) disparate areas of inquiry and knowledge. These unconventional collections weave together not only books, but also board games, videos, and zines that thematically connect in unexpected but potent ways. Animals might browse leaves in the forest canopy. Readers browse books in the stacks. Both are looking for something tasty and full of flavor that is worth picking up and consuming – there is serendipity and ecology to research.” Stop by and pick up one of the booklets before heading to the stacks, the symbols for each themes’ leaves are displayed on the back cover, or wander the stacks looking for the colorful markers.

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