Library Exhibitions and Visual Literacy

Library exhibitions showcase collections and can be laboratories where users apply key visual literacy skills, such as making close observations, practicing interpretation, and challenging assumptions. Library exhibitions facilitate self-directed inquiry and have a wide pedagogical range. At academic libraries, faculty include exhibition curation and viewing in their curriculum to promote scholarship and activism. Public libraries use exhibitions to cultivate civic interest and encourage intergenerational and multi-cultural learning. Across settings, exhibition experiences support visual learning, prompt critical thinking, and mobilize change. Through examining contemporary library engagement models such as the American College and Research Library’s Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, this paper provides examples of exhibits that illustrate ACRL’s visual literacy benchmarks. Additionally, the paper provides a brief overview of recommendations for partnering with libraries to expand opportunities for visual learning.