Kent Library welcomes the opportunity to allow the campus community to use the display areas of the library.  Exhibit goals are to educate, enlighten and enrich.  Exhibits should reflect the scholarly, historical, social, and cultural concerns of the Southeast campus and its community. 

For the purpose of this document, exhibits are defined as thematic displays of materials, including but not limited to books, posters, documents, art work, objects and other artifacts, that should be accompanied by written commentary or labels. 

The Library endorses the American Library Associations statement on "Exhibit Spaces and Bulletin Boards."  Contents of guest exhibits are not meant to reflect the views of Kent Library or its staff. 

The following policy has been developed to promote equitable access to the display facility in Kent Library and to ensure that displays reflect the library's overall commitment to quality.  This policy applies to all exhibits in the Library. 

Policy

Display space in Kent Library is available for use by any organization, agency or department affiliated with Southeast Missouri State University.

Exhibits may not commercialize or editorialize personal or partisan opinions or viewpoints, but should inform and educate the public. 

While the Library makes every effort to honor scheduling commitments, the Display Committee reserves the right to postpone, reschedule or curtail an exhibit.  Furthermore, an exhibit may be cancelled at any stage if the exhibitors have not met the agreed upon conditions and deadlines. 

Priority will be given to exhibits curated by the Library.  Guest exhibits may be rescheduled if any proposed exhibit conflicts with the Librarys need for the exhibit space. 

The Display Committee retains the right of refusal and is not obligated to accept every exhibit offered for display.   

Exhibitors and sponsoring department will pay any special costs incurred in mounting the exhibit, including the repair of any damage to the building or the library property caused in the installation or removal of the exhibit. 

An exhibit must focus on being informative to the patrons of Kent Library and be appropriate to a university setting.  Please incorporate the "Design Guidelines"

Exhibitors may request either an 8- or a 16-week reservation.  Please provide at least a minimum two weeks cancellation notice to the Display Committee, so that another exhibit may be scheduled.

There are four cases with the following dimensions: 

4 upright cases, 60"H x 69"L x 20" D

These cases are located throughout the first floor of Kent Library.  Two upright cases are reserved for 8-week intervals; and two for 16-week intervals. Potential exhibitors may request multiple cases for large displays.

Additionally, wall space for hanging exhibits is available in the hallway across from the Circulation Desk on the main floor. 

Use of the Library for reception(s) held in conjunction with an exhibit, requires permission of the Library Director.

Reservations may not be made more than six months in advance of the date of the proposed exhibit, but should be made at least six weeks in advance. The Display Committee will meet regularly to review proposals, and will contact you regarding the status of your proposal.

Requests for using Library display space must be made in advance to the Library Display Committee.  To make a request, please complete the form and return to the Display Committee. If you have questions regarding any of the information, please contact the Library Directors Office at 573.651.2235, Kent Library Room 226.

Security

All Library display cases are locked.  The cases, however, are glass.  This places items in the cases at some risk of damage or theft.  

Southeast Missouri State University and Kent Library do not have insurance to cover the loss of or damage to displayed items.  The person authorizing the display assumes all risk of damage and loss.  Inclusion of valuable objects in displays is strongly discouraged.   

For the purpose of this document, exhibits are defined as thematic displays of materials, including but not limited to books, posters, documents, art work, objects and other artifacts that should be accompanied by written commentary or labels.

Exhibits must focus on being informative to the patrons of Kent Library and be appropriate to a university setting. Exhibits may not display prices for sale, unless agreed upon with the Display Committee.

While the Display Committee is available to consult with exhibitors on the mounting and dismantling of displays, the individual or organization that reserved the space is responsible for installation and removal.

Exhibitors must schedule an appointment to meet with a member of the Display Committee prior to the installation of an exhibit to inspect the case(s) to be used. Once the display is installed, the exhibitor must seek final approval from a member of the Display Committee before leaving the building. Exhibitors must also schedule a time to meet with a member of the Display Committee upon dismantling the exhibit to inspect for damage the case(s) used in the exhibit.

The preparation of a quality exhibit requires a significant investment of thought, effort and time. Begin planning and developing approved exhibits well before the installation date. Prepare an exhibit and its descriptive labels well in advance of the opening so that the exhibit may be installed quickly and in as complete a form as possible without having empty cases or an incomplete exhibit for any length of time. If you must leave the display unfinished for any length of time over 24 hours, please include an "Exhibit in Progress" sign visible in the case.

Using Library Materials in Displays

Any library books used in exhibits must be checked out before placing in the exhibit cases. The library reserves the right to remove library materials if the need arises.

Library materials used in exhibits must be displayed in a manner consistent with sound preservation principles. The Special Collections and Archives unit of the Library will be happy to provide advice or guidance in this area. The Library may request that materials displayed in a potentially damaging manner be redisplayed or removed from the exhibit. Never use rubber bands, paper clips, post-it notes, or any kind of sticky tape on library materials.

Supplies

The sponsoring organization assumes any costs incurred in mounting the exhibit (e.g. supplies, signage, publicity).

While the Library does not provide exhibit supplies for guest exhibits, the Special Collections Librarian is available for consultation on mounting exhibits.

Suggested supplies include:

*The Library has some display stands which are available for use in exhibits on a first-come basis.

Signage

Exhibitors must provide a sign announcing the title or theme of the exhibit. The sign should be mounted on card/poster board and measure at least 8.5" x 11". The sign should be displayed inside or on top of the first case, but not affixed to the glass by means of any adhesive substance.

Exhibits must also include a sign or other label indicating the name of the individual or organization responsible for the exhibit.

The context and text, including font size of labels, of an exhibit should be clear and easy to read. Choose clean, easy to read fonts, like Arial or Tahoma, and use font size 16 pt. or larger.

If you must leave the display unfinished for any length of time over 24 hours, please include an "Exhibit in Progress" sign visible in the case.

Conservation Considerations

Materials in the display cases may fade or become discolored because of exposure to light. If this is a concern, consider using color copies instead of original documents.

Use foam core to create rigid backings for documents displayed upright.

Display books flat or on cradles or stands to prevent damage to the pages or spine. Some books do not open well. Forcing a book open and displaying it that way will result in damage that is often impossible to repair.

The Special Collections Librarian is available to consult with exhibitors on display techniques.

Follow-up and Clean-up

You are responsible for maintaining the exhibit in a tidy fashion, and for all items in the case during the exhibit. Please do not contact the library for maintenance on the exhibit.

Humidity, light and heat may change paper products and adhesives. Check your display regularly to ensure that the display remains tidy.

Displays must be removed on or before the proposed exhibit close date, and should be removed by the individual or organization sponsoring the exhibit.

Publicity

Publicity is encouraged and Kent Library will provide limited assistance with publicity.  The Kent Library Publicity Committee will place notices of exhibits, with the consent of the exhibitor,  on the Newswire, University Master Calendar and Kent Library homepage, and may choose to send notices to the University News Bureau for possible press releases.  If you wish for us to publicize your event, please provide us with a short description of your exhibit in the appropriate box on the exhibit application form.   The Publicity Committee will not be responsible for contacting other campus, local and regional media outlets.