This fall, two exhibits are on display that showcase material from the University’s history as well as some recent acquisitions related to the book arts.
Service and Solidarity: Historically Black Fraternities and Sororities at Binghamton
This exhibit features the history of Binghamton University chapters of Black Greek-Letter Organizations (BGLOs), “Black Greeks,” or more inclusively, traditionally Black fraternal organizations. The exhibit traces the history of nine campus chapters, the first of which were established in the early 1980s, and speaks to the function of BGLOs at Binghamton as a predominantly white institution. In addition to materials from Special Collections, visitors will see objects on loan from students, alumni and staff who are proud to share their enthusiasm as members of these organizations.
The exhibit is on view outside Special Collections during Bartle Library North Reading Room hours. Also on view, in the Bartle Library Mezzanine, is a companion exhibit about the history of national Black fraternal organizations and the resources which Binghamton University Libraries make available on this topic.
Arts of the Book: Recent Acquisitions
The exhibit in the reception area of Special Collections highlights a number of the exciting new additions to the Libraries’ holdings. While many expect to only find older manuscripts and printed material housed in Special Collections, they may be surprised that the department actively collects a variety of contemporary works each year.
The items on display engage with and sometimes challenge the idea of the book and were created outside the world of commercial publishing and mass production. The book arts include a variety of creative and hand craft disciplines including artists’ books, letterpress printing, printmaking, typography, papermaking, and bookbinding. The one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces are distinguished by their visual presence or “objectness” and artistry that invite interaction and close looking, introspection and even an occasional laugh. They broaden and deepen existing holdings, including creative responses to Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, as well as those that concern nature and the environment, social justice, and diversity and representation.
The exhibit also features the first two winning entries in the Special Collections Student Book Arts Competition. The competition, launched in 2023, has become an annual event held each spring that will continue to yield new additions to Special Collections that explore the “arts of the book” in exciting new ways.
Visit Special Collections anytime 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is required to view the exhibit.
Open Houses
Join the Libraries Special Collections at one of two open houses to be held 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19, and 1 – 3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20. In addition to viewing the exhibits, attendees will be able to interact with other recent acquisitions related to the book arts that will be out in the reading room. Visitors can also talk with the staff about their roles as archivists and librarians in Special Collections and the many ways the department engages with its audiences.
All are welcome!
Special Collections is located on the second floor of Bartle Library, North (LN 2320).