College and Research Libraries


By A G N E S R E A G A N 

College Library Exhibits: 
A Bibliographical Approach 

Miss Reagan, of the staff of the Wellesley 

College Library, deals here comprehen-

sively with the literature which may be 

suggestive in the planning of exhibits in 

college libraries .* 

IN A STUDY of college library exhibits the existing literature relevant to the sub-
ject serves as a starting point and pro-

vides a background essential to its further 

development. A selection of titles has 

been made from this literature on the basis 

of those which point to the variety of 

available materials dealing with exhibits 

and which, at the same time, suggest 

answers to questions confronting a college 

librarian engaged in planning an exhibit 

program. Such questions may involve the 

techniques and methods which contribute 

to the making of an effective and success-

ful exhibit, sources of exhibitable materials 

and ideas, and the purpose and value of 

exhibits in the college library. A librarian 

with an understanding of the general tech-

niques and fundamental principles of 

exhibit planning in its broadest interpreta-

tion and with a definite purpose to ac-

complish through exhibition may be able 

to find in the literature descriptions of 

specific exhibits from which ideas as to 

content and arrangement may be bor-

rowed. 

* B a s e d on a thesis presented in partial fulfillment 
of requirements for the degree of M a s t e r of A r t s in 
L i b r a r y S c i e n c e at the U n i v e r s i t y of Illinois. U s e d 
with permission of the dean of the g r a d u a t e school. 

One of the most detailed and practical 

explanations of library exhibit technique 

and method is found in G . O . W a r d ' s 

Publicity for Public Libraries.1 T h e 

author in a chapter on displays and ex-

hibits covers all sides of the question, from 

qualities which tend to make an exhibit 

effective to a formula for mixing an ad-

hesive recommended for attaching labels 

inside exhibit cases. Advantages and 

limitations of the exhibit are enumerated, 

various types of exhibits are described, and 

physical equipment, including racks, 

panels, labels, and cases, is discussed. M r . 

W a r d ' s chapter in its practical approach 

based upon a sound study of the psychol-

ogy of exhibiting is invaluable to the col-

lege librarian who will adapt and modify 

it to fit the college library. T h i s dis-

cussion may be supplemented by two 

articles drawing their content primarily 

from exhibit policy and practice as de-

veloped and tested in specific libraries: 

" T h e Technique of Library Exhibits" by 

Eunice Wead, 2 written with special refer-

ence to the library of the University 

of Michigan, and " T h e Huntington 

Library's Special Exhibitions" by R . O . 

Schad.3 M r . Schad mentions exhibitions 

assembled to parallel instructional work in 

1 W a r d , G. O. Publicity for Public Libraries. 2d 
ed. N e w Y o r k , H . W . W i l s o n C o m p a n y , 1935. 

2 W e a d , E u n i c e . " T h e T e c h n i q u e of L i b r a r y E x -
h i b i t s . " Library Journal 47:499-501, June 1, 1922. 

3 Schad, R . O. " T h e H u n t i n g t o n L i b r a r y ' s Spe-
cial E x h i b i t i o n s . " Library Journal 59:642-45, Sept. 
i» 1934. 

DECEMBER, 1943 
8 7 



nearby colleges. T w o articles recently 

appearing in German periodical literature4 

may be added for additional information 

regarding the elements which combine to 

make a successful book exhibition. Wilson 

Library Bulletin5 has always shown an 

awareness of the potentialities of exhibit-

ing as one aspect of library service. In 

complete articles, in short paragraphs in 

" T h e Crow's Nest," and in the current 

"Display for the M o n t h " are descriptions 

of successful exhibits shown in school, 

public, and college libraries, as well as 

more general discussions of display ar-

rangement, poster making, and bulletin 

board technique.6 

T h e practical use of the techniques and 

methods of exhibition discussed in the 

above references comes in their applica-

tion to the selection and arrangement of 

materials for the purpose of expressing or 

exhibiting ideas. In addition to an under-

standing of display technique and method, 

a library exhibitor will find a knowledge 

of a few of the more fruitful sources of 

exhibitable materials and ideas useful. 

A n article from the Enoch Pratt Free 

Library,7 indicating individuals and or-

ganizations in the community that may 

lend exhibit materials, suggests to the col-

lege librarian sources on or near the college 

4 S a t t l e r , P a u l . " A u s s t e l l u n g e n als bibliotheka-
rische A u f g a b e . " Zentralblatt fiir Bibliothekswesen 
54:498-511, Sept.-Oct., 1937; R u m p f , W a l t e r . " D i e 
kleine B u c h a u s s t e l l u n g . " Biicherei 7:269-74, Septem-
ber 1940. S u m m a r i e s may be f o u n d in Library 
Literature. 

5 Wilson Library Bulletin, 1 9 1 4 — d a t e . N e w Y o r k , 
H . W . W i l s o n C o m p a n y , 1 9 2 2 — d a t e . F o r m e r l y Wil-
son Bulletin for Librarians. 

6 A u s e f u l bibliography of display t e c h n i q u e s w a s 
distributed to l i b r a r i a n s a t t e n d i n g the r e c e n t re-
gional institute in C h i c a g o : " D i s p l a y T e c h n i q u e s , " 
compiled b y M a t i l d e K e l l y ( M i m e o g r a p h e d , Chicago, 
1943). A second up-to-date bibliography c o n t a i n i n g 
a section on exhibits, posters, and d i s p l a y s is avail-
able f r o m the P u b l i c R e l a t i o n s D i v i s i o n of the 
A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n : " L i b r a r y P u b l i c i t y 
L i t e r a t u r e , " compiled to 1941 by K e n n e t h R . S h a f f e r ; 
r e v i s e d to 1943 by P u b l i c Relations D i v i s i o n , A m e r -
ican L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n ( M i m e o g r a p h e d , C h i c a g o , 
1943). 

7 Smith, Gretta. " M a k i n g F r i e n d s f o r the L i b r a r y 
t h r o u g h E x h i b i t s . " Library Journal 59:646-49, Sept. 
I, 1934-

campus, including faculty, students, and 

alumni. "Leads N o . 7,"8 from the Ameri-

can Library Association, gives specific 

sources for rented and borrowed exhibits. 

Textbooks from the field of visual educa-

tion, such as A udio-Visual A ids to Instruc-

tion? contain sources of materials and 

equipment. "Visual Aids in the Realm of 

Chemistry,"10 with its listing of charts, 

exhibits, pictures, and publications useful 

in secondary school and college chemistry, 

is an example of the curricular lists pre-

pared by the Visual Aids Service of N e w 

Jersey State Teachers College. Other 

fields similarly covered by this same serv-

ice include biology, English language and 

literature, health, mathematics, and music. 

In addition to the selected titles mentioned 

here, library, educational, and popular 

periodicals, Wilson's Vertical File Service, 

"plus native imagination,"11 will bring to 

light other sources of exhibit materials. 

Related Materials 

In an exhibit the idea illustrated by 

related materials is as important as the 

actual materials themselves. Therefore, 

in the literature of library exhibits sources 

of exhibitable ideas are as pertinent as 

sources of exhibitable materials. O f t e n a 

list of exhibit subjects may serve as a 

beginning upon which one exhibit or a 

series of exhibits may be built. A wide 

variety of topics tried and proved exhib-

itable is found under the subject heading 

"Exhibits" in Library Literature,12 T y p i -

8 A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n . P u b l i c i t y Com-
mittee. " V i s u a l M a t e r i a l s . " ( " L e a d s N o . 7 , " re-
v i s e d . ) M i m e o g r a p h e d , C h i c a g o , 1939-

9 M c K o w n , H . C., and R o b e r t s , A . B . Audio-
Visual Aids to Instruction. N e w Y o r k , M c G r a w -
H i l l Book C o m p a n y , I n c . , 1940. 

10 N e w J e r s e y S t a t e T e a c h e r s C o l l e g e , M o n t c l a i r . 
V i s u a l A i d s S e r v i c e . " V i s u a l A i d s in the R e a l m of 
C h e m i s t r y . " ( M i m e o g r a p h e d , M o n t c l a i r , 1940.) 

1 1 A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n , op. cit., p. ii. 
12 Library Literature, 1933-35—date. N e w Y o r k , 

H . W . W i l s o n C o m p a n y , 1 9 3 6 — d a t e . 

54 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



cal annual reports of college librarians in-

dicate briefly the name or theme of each 

exhibit shown during the period covered 

by the'report. In addition to college li-

brary bulletins, such as Colby Library 

Quarterly13 and Wesleyan University's 

About Books,14 bulletins of university and 

public libraries carry articles which can 

in some degree be translated for use in 

the college field. Although the average 

college library will not contain in any 

great measure the manuscripts and first 

editions which lend themselves so readily 

to exhibition in the larger university and 

public libraries, accounts of these ex-

hibitions may be suggestive of exhibitable 

subjects and, less frequently, of ideas re-

garding techniques, practices, and ma-

terials. Descriptions of fifteenth century 

books published in the Boston Public L i -

brary's More Books15 are useful in the col-

lege library showing rare books. A number 

of topics from the list of exhibitions in the 

forty-year index to the Bulletin of the 

N e w York Public Library1 6 are suscep-

tible to college exhibition. A n article on 

Harvard University's tercentenary exhibi-

tions17 suggests techniques as well as sub-

jects. 

Titles from Reading List 

Occasionally a library may be able to 

build an entire exhibit of titles selected 

from a reading list, such as one designed 

to accompany the N e w Y o r k Public L i -

brary's exhibition " W o m e n in the M a k i n g 

13 C o l b y C o l l e g e , W a t e r v i l l e , M e . , L i b r a r y . Colby 
Library Quarterly, 1 9 4 3 — d a t e . 

14 W e s l e y a n U n i v e r s i t y , M i d d l e t o w n , C o n n . O l i n 
M e m o r i a l L i b r a r y . About Books, 1 9 3 0 — d a t e . 

15 B o s t o n P u b l i c L i b r a r y . More Books, 1926—-
date. 

10 N e w Y o r k P u b l i c L i b r a r y . Bulletin . . . Index 
to Volumes 1-40, 1897-1936, compiled and edited by 
D. C. H a s k e l l . N e w Y o r k , 1937. 

17 W a l t o n , C . E . " T e r c e n t e n a r y E x h i b i t i o n s . " 
H a r v a r d U n i v e r s i t y , C a m b r i d g e , M a s s . , L i b r a r y . 
Harvard Library Notes 3:187-94, M a y 1938. 

of America,"1 8 or from the catalog of an 

exhibit, such as the catalog of the exhibi-

tion at M o u n t Holyoke to commemorate 

the one hundredth anniversary of the col-

lege.19 A cap and gown exhibit shown in 

the library of the University of Rochester 

is described in such detail as to be of real 

assistance to the college librarian inter-

ested in a commencement exhibit.20 T h e 

Goucher College Library's exhibit of " A 

Half-Century of Textbooks" 2 1 and docu-

ments exhibits at Florida State College 

for Women2 2 are presented with sufficient 

fulness to make them patterns for librar-

ians assembling collections of similar mate-

rials. 

T h e number of instances in which the 

exhibit policies of individual college li-

braries have been described in approximate 

detail is relatively small. For the most 

part, ends toward which exhibits may be 

made to work must be discovered from 

general articles upon college library serv-

ice or from accounts of single exhibits: 

art exhibits shown for their cultural effect, 

hobby exhibits to enlist the interest of 

students and faculty members, permanent 

exhibits to publicize rare items, displays 

of current books to stimulate reading, 

teaching exhibits to implement the work 

of the college faculty. Frequently, how-

ever, there is little indication of the pur-

pose and value of these exhibits either 

within the total exhibit program of the 

library or within the educational program 

of the college. 

18 " W o m e n in the M a k i n g of A m e r i c a . " N e w 
Y o r k P u b l i c L i b r a r y . Bulletin 45:468-72, J u n e 1941. 

19 M o u n t H o l y o k e C o l l e g e , S o u t h H a d l e y , Mass. 
Williston M e m o r i a l L i b r a r y . An Exhibition of One 
Hundred American First Editions Paralleling the 
History of Mount Holyoke College, 1837-1937. 

20 " T h e C r o w ' s N e s t . " Wilson Bulletin for Li-
brarians 10:600-02, M a y 1936. 

2 1 S c h i n d l e r , M . E . " A H a l f - C e n t u r y of T e x t -
b o o k s . " Journal of Higher Education 10:210-13, 
A p r i l 1939-

22 H a y n e s , F r a n c e s , and C o y k e n d a l l , F r a n c e s . 
" D o c u m e n t s C a n B e N e w s . " Wilson Library Bul-
letin 17:544-45, M a r c h 1943. 

DECEMBER, 1943 
8 7 



Library Exhibit Policies 

A m o n g the colleges with library exhibit 

policies clearly defined in library literature 

are Seton H a l l College, Wellesley Col-

lege, and Williams College. T h e exhibit 

program of Seton Hall College, outlined 

for a three-year period and planned to in-

terest students in nonrequired reading, is 

discussed by Sister Melania Grace in 

Catholic Library World.23 Parts of the 

exhibit programs of Wellesley and W i l -

liams bear directly upon courses in the 

curriculum. Public and teaching exhibi-

tions in the Wellesley College Library are 

described in the annual report of the li-

brarian for the year 1941-42.24 T h e cus-

todian of the Chapin Library at Williams 

College has contributed two of the most 

significant and stimulating articles to be 

found in the literature of library exhibits. 

T h e first article, published in 1936, dis-

cusses the use of rare books "to convey 

an idea or abstraction."25 A second 

article, appearing five years later, treats 

the role of rare books in a college program 

and describes the kinds of exhibits shown 

in the Chapin Library.26 These articles, 

coupled with the reports prepared annually 

by the custodian,27 give the reader an ex-

cellent picture of exhibits as developed in 

one college library. 

T o conclude this brief review of titles 

selected from library literature because of 

their pertinence to the study of college 

library exhibits, reference may suitably be 

made to the chapter "Posters, Displays, 

Exhibits" in G . R. Lyle's College Library 

23 S i s t e r M e l a n i a G r a c e . " A P u b l i c i t y P r o g r a m 
f o r the C o l l e g e L i b r a r y : A T h r e e - Y e a r P l a n . " Cath-
olic Library World 8:69-70, M a y 1937. 

24 W e l l e s l e y C o l l e g e , W e l l e s l e y , M a s s . , L i b r a r y . 
" R e p o r t of the L i b r a r i a n . " 1941-42. M i m e o g r a p h e d . 

25 O s b o r n e , L . E . " E x h i b i t i o n s . " Library Journal 
61:389, M a y 15, 1936. 

26 O s b o r n e , L . E . " R a r e B o o k s in a C o l l e g e P r o -
g r a m . " Library Journal 66:386-87, M a y 1, 1941. 

27 W i l l i a m s College, W i l l i a m s t o w n , M a s s . C h a p i n 
L i b r a r y . Report, 1923-24—date. 

Publicity.28 T h e topics covered a b o v e — 

exhibit technique and method, sources of 

exhibitable materials and subjects, the pur-

pose and value of exhibits—are summar-

ized by M r . L y l e and pointed directly 

toward the college library. 

It is clear that the literature of library 

exhibits includes writings of both a prac-

tical and a theoretical nature. T h e col-

lege librarian content with a surface 

knowledge of the subject will probably 

find sufficient information here, but in this 

literature at present are f e w penetrating 

studies. W r i t i n g to museum curators, one 

English authority on museum exhibition 

has said in discussing the main sources of 

"delight in display:" 

Sources for inspiration in finding or de-
signing these elements of delight should not 
be sought in the museum alone, since the 
danger in the practice of any art is to feed 
upon oneself. T o avoid the dangers of such 
a stodgy diet and evade the evils of inbreed-
ing it is a good thing to turn towards other 
horizons.29 

Such a statement might appropriately be 

rephrased and directed toward library ex-

hibitors. T h e librarian desiring a thor-

ough understanding of exhibits must be-

come a student of exhibit literature in 

related fields and of those writings which 

lie behind and help interpret modern ex-

hibit practices. If the college librarian 

defines clearly the primary purpose which 

exhibits are to serve in his library and 

does not lose sight of that purpose in an 

examination of a larger body of literature, 

his exhibit program cannot fail to profit. 

A library exhibitor, whether he consid-

ers himself propagandist or instructor or 

a combination of the two, can transfer a 

28 L y l e , G. R . College Library Publicity. B o s t o n , 
F . W . F a x o n C o m p a n y , 1935. 

28 T h o m a s , T r e v o r . " P e n n y P l a i n , T w o p e n c e Col-
o u r e d : T h e A e s t h e t i c s of M u s e u m D i s p l a y . " Mu-
seums Journal 39:9, A p r i l 1939. 

56 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



number of well-developed and carefully 

tested techniques from fields making use 

of display either commercially or educa-

tionally. Both window display, designed 

primarily to sell, and museum exhibition, 

intended mainly to teach, have developed 

a literature which will lend itself to in-

terpretation in terms of the library exhibit. 

General handbooks on window display, 

similar to W . N . T a f t ' s The Handbook 

of Window Display30 discuss points to be 

considered in dressing a show window, ap-

plications of the principles of arrangement 

and color, and essentials of a good back-

ground. Retail Advertising and Sales 

Promotion by C . M . Edwards and W . H . 

Howard 3 1 offers a useful analysis of the 

principles basic to a good window display 

program. A more comprehensive treat-

ment of successful utilization of light and 

color is contained in M a t t h e w Luckiesh's 

Light and Color in Advertising and Mer-

chandising32 

Museum Exhibits 

Although the distinction between the 

functions of the college library and the 

museum of science and art is a marked 

one, the problem of exhibition is common 

to both, and the library exhibitor will find 

a familiarity with established practices and 

current developments in museum display 

to be useful. A brief summary by Eliza-

beth Eiselen of the techniques of museum 

exhibition33 affords a general introduction 

to the subject. Results of surveys at the 

N e w Y o r k and San Francisco World's 

Fairs of 1939, recently published by the 

30 T a f t , W . N. The Handbook of Window Display. 
N e w Y o r k , M c G r a w - H i l l B o o k C o m p a n y , I n c . , 1926. 

31 E d w a r d s , C . M . , Jr., and H o w a r d , W . H . Retail 
Advertising and Sales Promotion. N e w Y o r k , P r e n -
tice-Hall, I n c . , 1936. 

32 L u c k i e s h , M a t t h e w . Light and Color in Adver-
tising and Merchandising. N e w Y o r k , D . V a n Nos-
trand C o m p a n y , I n c . , 1923. 

33 E i s e l e n , E l i z a b e t h . " T h e T e c h n i q u e of Exhib-
i t s . " Journal of Geography 39:320-22, 1940. 

N e w York Museum of Science and In-

dustry,34 show successful display tech-

niques and trends in modern exhibition. 

L . V . Coleman in analyzing curatorial 

work in his Manual for Small Museums35 

discusses purposes, arrangement, and in-

stallation of exhibits, as well as exhibition 

equipment. A librarian considering the 

purchase of a number of cases may wish 

to supplement M r . Coleman's discussion 

with the chapter "Museum Fatigue" in 

B. I. Gilman's Museum Ideals of Pur-

pose and Method.3* 

Serial publications dealing specifically 

with museum work carry material on 

labeling, arrangement, and display method. 

E. S. Robinson's The Behavior of the 

Museum Visitor31 issued as one of the 

Publications of the American Association 

of Museums, contains suggestions for the 

librarian concerned with measuring the 

relative effectiveness of two exhibits. T h e 

study of any one of the more practical 

references on museum display might well 

be enlivened by the reading of an article 

in Museums Journal by T r e v o r Thomas 

of the Liverpool Free Public Museums.38 

T h e article is among the best for pure 

inspiration and for an appreciation of 

exhibition arrangement as developed in the 

modern museum. 

T h e values of graphic representation 

and the utilization of concrete objects in 

attracting attention and in clarification 

and interpretation of textual materials are 

in certain cases implied and in others dis-

cussed in some detail in the foregoing ref-

erences. However, within recent years 

84 N e w Y o r k M u s e u m of S c i e n c e and I n d u s t r y . 
Exhibition Techniques. N e w Y o r k , 1940. 

35 Coleman, L . V . Manual for Small Museums. 
N e w Y o r k , G. P . P u t n a m ' s S o n s , 1927. 

36 Gilman, B . I. Museum Ideals of Purpose and 
Method. C a m b r i d g e , R i v e r s i d e P r e s s , 1918. 

37 R o b i n s o n , E . S . The Behavior of the Museum 
Visitor. A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n of M u s e u m s . Pub-
lications, N e w S e r i e s , 5, W a s h i n g t o n , 1928. 

38 T h o m a s , op. cit., p. 1-12. 

DECEMBER, 1943 
8 7 



the field of visual education has made the 

greatest use of visual aids as supplementary 

instructional devices. Since emphasis has 

been laid upon the use of such aids within 

grade and high schools, the bulk of the 

literature has been prepared with the needs 

of elementary and secondary school teach-

ers in mind. Even so, regardless of the 

intelligence and age level of the audience 

for which an exhibit is planned, an appre-

ciation of the philosophy and psychology 

of visual aids is fundamental to the ex-

hibitor, who will find it necessary in using 

the literature to remember that certain 

practices and techniques developed for an 

elementary schoolroom will frequently re-

quire some little modification to be ap-

plied successfully in a college library. For 

an understanding of the value and use of 

visual aids, standard textbooks, such as 

Audio-Visual Aids to Instruction39 and 

Visualizing the Curriculum,40 are helpful. 

Discussions of the " w h y " of visual mate-

rials and their place in the teaching 

program can be found here, as well as chap-

ters devoted primarily to various types of 

graphic materials and objects with prac-

tical suggestions regarding their selection, 

care, and most effective use. Bibliog-

raphies point the way to similar materials 

bearing on specific curricular fields. 

One of the most comprehensive treat-

ments of the exhibit as an instrument of 

education lies within the field of social 

welfare. Although prepared for one par-

ticular group of exhibitors, The ABC of 

Exhibit Planning by the Routzahns41 of-

39 M c K o w n , op. cit. 
40 H o b a n , C. F . , H o b a n , C. F . , Jr., and Z i s m a n , 

S . B . Visualising the Curriculum. N e w Y o r k , Cor-
don C o m p a n y , 1937. 

4 1 R o u t z a h n , E. G., and R o u t z a h n , M . S. The 
ABC of Exhibit Planning. N e w Y o r k , Russell S a g e 
F o u n d a t i o n , 1918. A recent pamphlet on exhibits 
has been prepared by the National P u b l i c i t y Coun-
cil f o r H e a l t h and W e l f a r e S e r v i c e s : Exhibits: 
How To Plan and Make Them. N e w Y o r k , N a t i o n a l 
P u b l i c i t y C o u n c i l , 1943. 

fers general suggestions which will apply 

to any exhibit program. According to the 

editor's preface, it is concerned with the 

initial stages of exhibit preparation, when 

first decisions are being made regarding 

scope, purpose, and methods. 

Back of all successful exhibit techniques 

and practices covered in library literature 

and in the literature of related fields lies 

an appreciation for the principles of 

aesthetics and an understanding of human 

nature and the means by which it can 

be most readily motivated and controlled. 

In this connection writings dealing with 

artistic design and applied psychology are 

relevant to a study of exhibitions. 

In advertising, conformity to the more 

conventional aesthetic principles is encour-

aged since investigation has shown that 

people are in most cases sensitive to values 

basic to artistic design.42 Such conform-

ity is equally desirable in exhibiting. A n 

exhibit to be effective must be arranged 

in good taste, which calls for an intelli-

gent application of elements usually asso-

ciated with the fine and graphic arts. 

D . W . Ross in A Theory of Pure De-

sign43 presents the laws of harmony, bal-

ance, and rhythm as expressed through 

position, line and outline, tone, and color. 

Less detailed discussions of the fundamen-

tals of design are found in Chapter I I I 

of E . A . Batchelder's Design in Theory 

and Practice44 and Chapter I I of Essen-

tials of Design by Charles D e Garmo and 

L . L . Winslow. 4 5 T h e latter work con-

tains, also, an excellent section on the 

artistic significance of color. 

42 B u r t t , H . E . Psychology of Advertising. Bos-
ton, H o u g h t o n Mifflin C o m p a n y , 1938, p. 296-97. 

43 Ross, D . W . A Theory of Pure Design. N e w 
Y o r k , P e t e r S m i t h , 1933. 

44 B a t c h e l d e r , E. A . Design in Theory and Prac-
tice. N e w Y o r k , M a c m i l l a n C o m p a n y , 1910. 

^ D e G a r m o , C h a r l e s , and W i n s l o w , L . L . Essen-
tials of Design. N e w Y o r k , M a c m i l l a n C o m p a n y , 
1924. 

58 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



Purpose of Exhibit 

Generally an exhibit is prepared to be 

seen by a particular group of individuals 

and to influence that group in a prescribed 

manner. Therefore, an exhibit can hardly 

be judged completely effective if it fails to 

attract and hold the attention of those 

for whom it has been planned nor can it 

be considered wholly successful if the in-

fluence which it works upon its audience 

is contrary to the one expected. In this 

respect an acquaintance with the basic 

principles of applied psychology will prove 

of great assistance to an exhibitor. Since 

the field of advertising includes exhibiting 

and since psychology has been applied suc-

cessfully within this field by modern busi-

ness, the literature of psychology in ad-

vertising can contribute in no small meas-

ure to an understanding of the principles 

which underlie a good exhibit. Practical 

manuals of advertising, such as Introduc-

tion to Advertising by A . J. Brewster and 

H . H . Palmer46 and An Outline of Ad-

vertising by G . B. Hotchkiss,47 contain 

chapters concerned with psychological 

principles which are applied in advertis-

ing and which can be applied with equal 

propriety in exhibiting. T h e discussions 

of certain points—appeals to basic inter-

ests and emotions, incentives to attention 

and interest, effective use of illustrations 

and color—clarify and summarize mate-

rials found in more comprehensive refer-

ences on advertising psychology. 

H . E. Burtt's Psychology of Advertis-

ing48 is representative of those books which 

treat the subject in greater detail and 

which at the same time are readable and 

40 B r e w s t e r , A . J., and P a l m e r , H . H . Introduc-
tion to Advertising. 4th ed. N e w Y o r k , M c G r a w -
Hill B o o k C o m p a n y , I n c . , 1941. 

47 Hotohkiss, G. B . An Outline of Advertising. 
R e v . ed. N e w Y o r k , M a c m i l l a n C o m p a n y , 1940. 

48 B u r t t , op. cit. 

intelligible even to beginners in the field. 

Here the element of "appeal," often con-

sidered intangible, elusive, and the result 

of chance rather than actual planning, is 

placed within reach of the library exhibi-

tor willing to read, adapt, and apply. T h e 

author covers types of appeals, their rela-

tive strength, and their adaptation to fit a 

particular audience. Chapters are devoted 

to mechanical devices for attracting at-

tention, including size, intensity, motion,49 

contrast, isolation, and position, and to 

techniques for holding attention, such as 

unity, balance, and the use of lines and 

closed forms. T h e importance of interest 

incentives—novelty, the comic, color, and 

pictures—which afford a linkage with some 

previous experience and arouse interest, is 

stressed. A n y one or all of the psycho-

logical principles explained by M r . Burtt 

may be utilized in exhibiting, with the 

extent of use depending always in the 

final analysis upon the purpose of the ex-

hibit. 

Summary 

By way of summary it seems appropriate 

to venture a number of generalizations 

drawn from the literature discussed 

as pertinent to exhibits and to consider 

these generalizations in their application 

to the college library. W h a t is an ex-

hibit? W h a t factors should be consid-

ered in its evaluation? W h a t elements 

contribute to the making of a good ex-

hibit? 

One writer in an article on exhibit tech-

49 F o r the a v e r a g e library exhibit the use of light 
and motion m a y be highly impracticable, but there is 
no doubt as to their attention-attracting v a l u e , and, 
if a librarian is a w a r e of their possibilities, one or 
the other may be utilized upon certain occasions with-
out u n r e a s o n a b l e e x p e n d i t u r e or too elaborate prepa-
ration. T h e use w h i c h the library of the C o l l e g e of 
the C i t y of N e w Y o r k has made of light and mo-
tion in e x h i b i t i n g is g i v e n in Robert W h i t f o r d ' s 
" S p e c i a l E x h i b i t F e a t u r e s . " Library Journal 60: 
1 4 7 - 4 8 , F e b . i s , I93S-

DECEMBER, 1943 
8 7 



nique defines an exhibit as "a means of im-

parting the same information over a pe-

riod of time to many people."50 A second 

author in a discussion of library publicity 

describes an exhibit as "an object or a 

collection of objects chosen and arranged 

so as to tell a story."51 One factor dis-

cernible in the literature of library exhibits 

and substantiated by the results of a sur-

vey of college library exhibit practice is 

that no marked distinction has been made 

between an "exhibit" and a "display." T o 

one librarian an exhibit worthy of the 

name may rival a lesser Century of Prog-

ress exhibition; to another it may be a 

miscellaneous collection of books assembled 

to the right of a circulation desk for the 

purpose of catching a prospective reader's 

eye and circulating immediately. A s far 

as the individual library is concerned such 

a distinction is of minor importance. If a 

collection of materials shown publicly ac-

complishes the purpose for which it has 

been planned, the fact that these materials 

constitute an exhibit or a display is of little 

consequence. However, when an attempt 

is made to study collectively exhibits held 

within a number of libraries, some con-

clusion is needed as to the beginning of 

exhibit and the end of display. If the 

definitions proposed above are accepted, 

more than one so-called "exhibit" will au-

tomatically revert to the display group. 

If an exhibit is to tell the same story or 

teach the same lesson to a number of peo-

ple over a period of time, every item in 

the exhibit which satisfies this definition 

will have a distinct role to play in its rela-

tion to other parts of the exhibit and in 

its contribution to the effectiveness and 

clarity of the whole. If the removal of 

any item detracts from the exhibit's ef-

fectiveness and leaves a gap in its story, its 

50 E i s e l e n , op. cit., p. 320. 
5 1 W a r d , op. cit., p. 201. 

inclusion is justified. In view of the above 

definitions, it appears that the construction 

of an exhibit is not dependent upon the 

amount of material shown or the number 

of cases filled. It depends more reason-

ably upon another factor: to be effective, 

to teach its lesson, or to tell its story, the 

exhibit must be preserved as a whole dur-

ing the period of exhibition. In this re-

spect it differs from the display. 

A n exhibit without a purpose may find 

itself hard put to justify its existence, par-

ticularly within a library. Display for 

the sake of display may be effective, but it 

is scarcely to be considered as constituting 

an end in itself. A half-hearted effort on 

the part of any college library to carry on 

exhibits poorly planned and hurriedly exe-

cuted may be open to criticism, for no ex-

hibit at all is in most instances better than 

a poor exhibit. O n the other hand, in 

view of the many demands upon staff 

members' time by more firmly established 

types of library service, there is little 

justification for an elaborate exhibit pro-

gram unless it is soundly based and clearly 

defined. A clear definition of purpose, 

therefore, is fundamental to the planning 

of any exhibit. If that purpose can be 

accomplished more readily and practicably 

and with equal success by some means 

other than exhibiting, an exhibit should 

i p t be attempted. 

A s the purpose of an exhibit is funda-

mental to its planning it is also of first 

importance in its evaluation. T h e de-

cisive test of the success of any exhibit 

comes in answer to the question: W a s its 

purpose accomplished? A n exhibit pre-

pared to attract donations will be judged 

by the number of gifts resulting from it; 

a display intended to promote circulation 

of a particular group of books will be 

measured by statistics in the circulation 

60 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



record. Evidence of the success of an ex-

hibit planned to teach a lesson or to tell 

a story is far less tangible and can hardly 

be measured in terms as concrete as gifts 

or statistics. If, however, in the planning, 

assembling, and arranging of the exhibit, 

thoughtful consideration is given the tech-

niques of exhibition which are soundly 

based upon principles of applied psychol-

ogy, the success of the exhibit will tend to 

be ensured. 

T h e purpose of an exhibit once defined 

and justified will generally indicate the 

logical group toward which the exhibit 

should be directed. A college library ex-

hibit prepared to attract donations will in 

all probability be directed toward prosper-

ous alumni and influential Friends of the 

Library. A n exhibit planned to enrich 

the teaching program of a certain faculty 

member will be aimed at students enrolled 

in his classes. Purpose and audience are 

inseparable in the preparation of an ex-

hibit, and other factors to be considered 

will hinge largely upon these two. T h e y 

govern the theme or central idea of the 

exhibit; they influence selection and ar-

rangement of materials and the location 

of the exhibit itself; they determine the 

length of exhibition period and the type 

and amount of publicity the exhibit de-

serves. Purpose and audience serve as the 

framework around which an exhibit is 

built. H o w well the exhibit is built de-

pends largely upon the judgment and skill 

with which the exhibitor selects and ar-

ranges his materials, relating them through 

appropriate written interpretations into an 

attractive whole which clearly expresses 

the theme of the exhibit. 

T h e ideal college library exhibitor 

would seem to combine with the charac-

teristics of librarian those of psychologist 

and artist with a proper balance among 

the three. He never allows his enthusiasm 

for drawing attention to the exhibit to 

overshadow its real purpose and divert at-

tention elsewhere; he never permits his 

zeal for creating a masterpiece of artistry 

to make his primary purpose a secondary 

one; and he never lets his background as 

librarian blind him to the fact that, though 

books in themselves may be infinitely de-

lightful to him, an exhibit of them can be 

made more attractive and alive to others 

if, in its planning and arrangement, a due 

regard is given the principles of applied 

psychology and artistic design. 

A n Analysis of the Work of the Information Desk at the 
University of Illinois Library 
(Continued from page 43) 

A t the same time the attendant supple-

ments printed rules with oral explanations 

applicable to the particular problem. 

A l l things considered, it is evident that 

no printed handbook can be expected to 

take the place of an information service 

conveniently located and attended by a 

trained librarian who can not only explain 

general rules but also give specific help 

with the problem at hand. A n informa-

tion desk provides personal instruction in 

use of the library at the point where the 

student is most likely to encounter a need 

for such instruction. 

DECEMBER, 1943 
8 7