The Artist's Library

A Field Guide

“This quirky and imaginative book celebrates individuals’ potential for creativity and libraries as vital and vibrant community resources.” —Kirkus Reviews

Information is free to everyone who steps into a library. So is creativity.

The Artist’s Library embraces the idea that an artist is any person who uses creative tools to make new things, and provides the guidance and resources to make libraries of all sizes and shapes come alive as spaces for art-making and cultural engagement. Case studies included in the book range from the crafty (pop-up books) to the community-minded (library galleries) to documentary (photo projects) to the technically complex (“listening” to libraries via Dewey decimal frequencies).

From the creators of the Library as Incubator Project, this book offers “a broader vision for what a library can be.” (Capitol Times).

“In an overstimulated age, when inspired contemplative space can be challenging to secure—whether you live in a culturally rich city or a more remote locale—it can be easy to forget that libraries even exist, that there’s a place full of literature, art, reliable resources, and unimpeded quiet available for free—often just a walk or short drive away. But Batykefer and her cohort, along with their creative contributors, are predicting an expansion of the idea of what a library is and does.” —Poets & Writers