Mixed Paper Panel: Curatorial Reimaginings

Abstract

PAPER ONE: Irina Savinetskaya. "Broadening Perspectives on the Middle Ages by Applying a Reparative Framework to Special Collections." Archives and special collections enact power through collecting, exhibiting and interpreting objects in their care. Collections of medieval manuscripts in most U.S. institutions are reflective of collecting trends that were common in nineteenth- and twentieth-century America and have contributed to advancing perceptions of the Middle Ages that are largely Eurocentric, elite, and predominantly male. As a result, the diverse bodies of students on campus nowadays often find it difficult to engage with the materials and their subjects. This paper offers several ways of diversifying medieval collections by highlighting a variety of formats, languages, audiences, geographies, and subjects within them. PAPER TWO: Courtney Hicks. "Supporting Graduate Student Curators Within A Special Collections Environment." This session will discuss the process of collaborating and working with graduate student curators. By extending the opportunity for graduate students to take a leading role in curating special collections exhibitions, rare materials are activated in exciting new ways, ranging from approaching materials with different methodologies, honoring and amplifying the legacies of elders and ancestors from their communities, and creatively imaging new installation possibilities. PAPER THREE: Derek Christian Quezada Meneses. "Necrobibliomancy: Outreach, Instruction and Curation strategies for bringing underutilized early printed books back to life." This presentation will explore strategies to increase awareness and use of under-utilized early printed rare book collections at two universities, University of California, Irvine and the University of Southern California. The presentation will delve into effective outreach strategies, including partnering with community organizations, utilizing social media and videos, and developing unique programming to spark community engagement and interest. It will also introduce active-learning teaching methods, such as incorporating aids for storytelling, creating visual literacy, and curatorial skills through role-playing. The effectiveness of applying inclusive and diverse curatorial collection development strategies will also be discussed, with a focus on actively seeking out underrepresented perspectives and voices in the collection.