Even a world-class research collection holds little value if it is not used.

When we purchase titles for the Art & Architecture Library’s Locked Stacks Collection, we try to imagine the ways in which they will be incorporated into the curriculum, inspire research papers, and influence new works of art. It was in this spirit that we conceived the current exhibition.

The recent acquisitions in American art on display are valuable additions to our collection of primary source materials. They augment our holdings in twentieth-century photography, mid-century design, contemporary artists’ books, documentary film, and pop art. But even more importantly, the items in the cases each struck a chord with a student or faculty member in the Department of Art & Art History. For a few moments, these books became part of a partnership of thought. The descriptions and opinions and poems that now rest alongside the books are the tangible results.

Special thanks to our contributors: Mackenzie Crist, Heather Glenny, Nick Hoversten, Katie Keller, George Philip LeBourdais, Jamie Meltzer, Alexander Nemerov, and Sydney Skelton Simon.