The Rutgers University Art Library Exhibition Spaces (RALES) were created so that an Art Librarian could more intentionally connect with the departments with whom she is a liaison, and to further engage the local campus communities by elevating the importance of scholarly research happening in the Arts. These spaces also provide an opportunity for student artists, graduate students in librarianships, and organizations putting up their first exhibit, to learn more about what goes into an exhibition, from creation of the work, to the public viewing, marketing, and reception. RALES also provides an opportunity for individuals to view artworks in person, as opposed to studying an image in a book. In three years this teaching gallery has hosted 38 exhibits by students, faculty, and staff, of Rutgers, as well as a few local and out of state artists. There has been little to no cost in running this gallery space, other than the time. The most impactful aspect of RALES is that is has created a deeper connection to the patrons that the Art Library serves as well as built bridges across the campuses that have introduced the libraries to many new potential partnerships. This presentation will include a brief review of exhibition spaces in academic libraries as well as a discussion on how gallery spaces can be low cost, easy to coordinate, and create a lasting impact. Audience members will learn more about the physical make up of RALES, examples of exhibits shown in the space, and tips on how one can create their own low cost gallery space. Lastly the author will provide examples for ways to find artist and curators and show a research guide that has been created to archive the spaces.

1. STUDENT PAINTINGS,TATTOO ARTISTS,AND SCIENTISTS:
THE RUTGERS UNIVERSITY ART LIBRARY EXHIBITION SPACES
MEGAN LOTTS,ART LIBRARIAN, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

2. EXHIBITION SPACES IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
• Permanent funded exhibition spaces & galleries (ex. Special Collections/University
archives).
• Teaching exhibition spaces.
• Pop up exhibitions.
• Digital Exhibitions
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3. WHY WASTHIS SPACE CREATED
• I was looking to find ways to further connect with the departments to whom I liaise (Art
History, Digital Filmmaking, Landscape Architecture, and Mason GrossVisual Artists)
• Elevate the importance of the scholarly work being created in the Arts on the Rutgers
campuses.
• Provide an opportunity for artist to exhibit their work.
• Provide the Art Library intern an opportunity to curate an exhibition.
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4. EXHIBITION SPACES
• The Art Library has two wall hanging track systems. Both walls are 8 feet tall from ceiling
to floor. The longer wall, from track system to shelves is 63 inches, and 26 feet end to
end. The shorter wall is 13 feet end to end. Sculptures, Installations, and performances
will be considered as long as the art work does not damage the Art Library walls/spaces,
or create a fire hazard.
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5. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE SPACES
• 38 exhibits
• Little to no fiscal cost, other than time.
• Built closer connections with MGVA, LA, and Arts communities on the RU campuses
• Partnerships with multiple departments on campus including: BrighamYoung University Humanities
Center’s Archipelagoes, Center forWomen in the Arts & Humanities, Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick, NJ,
Institute for Research onWomen, Jersey Collective Mason GrossVisual Artists, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Research
Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, Returned Peace CorpsVolunteers of New Jersey, Rutgers Brodsky Center, Rutgers
faculty & staff artists, Rutgers Center for Cultural Analysis, Rutgers Poetry club, School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program,
RutgersTheater Department, andThe Centers for the Global Advancement and International Affairs at Rutgers
• http://libguides.rutgers.edu/eventsandexhibits
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6. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE SPACES
• Provide an opportunity for Rutgers students, faculty, and staff to exhibit their work.
• Many exhibitors have learned more about installing an exhibit from creation to
consumption, including installation, marketing, and reception planning.
• Provides an opportunity for individuals to view artworks in person as opposed to
studying an image in a book.
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7. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE- JENNY BURKHALTER
• One of the first graduate student exhibits.
• Initial solid connection to Landscape Architecture (LA) students.
• Got the LA students, faculty, & staff into the Art Library which is a 30 min walk away.
• Met many of the LA faculty for the first time.
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8. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE- JENNY BURKHALTER
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9. ART OFTHE TATTOO
• 2 undergraduate students co-curated exhibition.
• Exhibit in the Art Library cases & on one wall.
• Crowd sourced collection of tattoos from RUL community.
• Used in house printing services.
• Cookies & bottle water donated for reception.
• Honorarium to owner of Inksanity/speaker at reception.
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10. ART OFTHE TATTOO
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11. PROTEIN DATABANK
• Wonderful example of cross-disciplinary collaboration between Arts & Sciences.
• Provided a making space in which one could “make a protein”.
• Brought 40 scientists to the Art Library who were not aware that our library existed,
Including the chair of the Department who has interests in future collaborations.
• Provided an opportunity for the Chemistry & Physics librarian and myself to tour the
RCSB (research center for Structural Bioinformatics).
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12. PROTEIN DATABANK
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13. MARKING TIME- PRISON ARTS
• Collaboration with the Institute for Research onWomen.
• Included 5 galleries, 2 on the Rutgers campuses, and 3 galleries located in downtown
New Brunswick, NJ.
• Art Library hosted artist talks in conjunction with this exhibition and conference.
• Interactive photo opportunity for viewers to engage with the work.
• This exhibit helped create stronger ties with multiple Artists communities located in
New Brunswick, NJ.
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14. MARKING TIME- PRISON ARTS
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15. JERSEY COLLECTIVE
• Jersey Collective was started by Kerri Sullivan, former Art Library graduate intern, and
graduate of Rutgers SCI.
• Exhibit of printed images of digital photography taken throughout the state of NJ.
• Exhibit highlighted the Jersey Collective, as well as created a conversation about digital
born images and materials.
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16. JERSEY COLLECTIVE
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17. AMEE J. POLLACK & LAURIE SPITZ
• An exhibit by MGVA Advisor, and Book Artist.
• Books were borrowed from Rutgers University Libraries Special Collections New Jersey
Book Arts collection to be displayed in the cases.
• Reception brought students from MGVA over to the Art Library to view the exhibit as
well as learn more about the collections, and meeting their library liaison.
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18. AMEE J. POLLACK & LAURIE SPITZ
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19. COMIC INK:THE ART OFTHE GRAPHIC NOVEL
• Exhibit created by the Art Library graduate student intern, Cynthia Robbins.
• Included a create and submit your own comic contest.
• Highlighted materials found in the RUL collections, as well as scholarly articles found in
the RUL databases.
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20. COMIC INK:THE ART OFTHE GRAPHIC NOVEL
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21. THE BOOK: DIGITAL, EDIBLE,AND AS ART
• Byrne seminar taught in the Art Library.
• 2 pop up exhibits
• Week long exhibit of student books created for the course
• 2 hour pop-up exhibit of edible books
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22. THE BOOK: DIGITAL, EDIBLE,AND AS ART
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23. THE BOOK: DIGITAL, EDIBLE,AND AS ART
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24. FIDALIS BUEHLER AND JUANAVALDES
• Collaboration with Rutgers Center for Cultural analysis (CCA).
• Exhibit was fully funded, and up for a semester.
• The Art Library hosted a day long symposium including talks by the artists.
• Graduate student from Art History commented,“Valdes work is quite charming, and it’s
nice to see the Art Library host an installation for a change.”
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25. FIDALIS BUEHLER AND JUANAVALDES
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26. IN SEARCH OF A PUNCHLINE
• Part of an MGVA collaborative exhibit featuring multiple galleries on the Rutgers
CAC/Douglass campuses. The Art Library hosted 5 artists.
• Work on the walls, in the cases, and an installation in the reference collection, as well as a
looping video with headphones & monitor.
• The exhibit was visited by multiple courses from MGVA including a talk with the artists.
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27. IN SEARCH OF A PUNCHLINE
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28. ASSESSMENT
• Surveys at events.
• Stories and interactions from exhibitions, events, and receptions.
• Monitoring the RUL and other Rutgers social media pages for comments and likes.
• Publicity in local media sources.

29. HOW CANYOU MAKE IT HAPPEN
• You don’t need a lot of money.
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration is good. Partnerships can help share the fiscal and labor
costs. As well as, help with promotion and attendance to events.
• Marketing & Outreach.
• Create a proposal process & challenge process.
• I have an Art Library intern or Undergraduate reference assistant who help with planning
and coordinating exhibitions & events.
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30. CONCLUSION
• Exhibition spaces can be a great way to connect with individuals and create community
within ones library.
• Exhibition spaces can highlight the materials found in local library collections.
• Exhibition spaces provided artists an opportunity to share their work & learn more
about the exhibition process.
• Exhibition spaces can be a hands on way of educating patrons about the Arts.
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31. READ THE PAPER
• Lotts, Megan.“Building bridges, creating partnerships, and elevating the Arts.” College &
Research Libraries News 77, no. 5 (May 2016): 226-230.
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32. QUESTIONS
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Megan Lotts, MFA, M.L.I.S
Art Librarian
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
(848)932-7189
megan.lotts@rutgers.edu
www.meganlotts.com
link to work in RUcore
http://soar.libraries.rutgers.edu/bib/Megan_Lotts/
like the Rutgers Art Library facebook page
www.facebook.com/rutgersartlibrary