Library Exhibit

Final Project: Library ExhibitionProposal Due: 11/30*Optional Draft must be submitted before 12/7 for feedbackFinal Project Due: 12/11

OVERVIEW

In this Library Exhibition assignment, you will design an exhibit that investigates a topic ofyour choice that can be found in global literature in the historical period and geographicallocations of your choice. In order to populate your exhibit, you’ll begin to locate novels,poems/poetry books, plays, comic books, graphic novels, film, television series, art, ordigitized manuscripts that you think can inform your interpretation of the topic you havechosen. Your exhibit should speak to both the ​material details​ and the ​textual details​ of thetext: this means that ultimately, your project will use both a visual analysis and closereading approach to each of the texts that you choose to include.

STEP ONE: PRELIMINARY RESEARCH + PROPOSAL

Conducting preliminary research on your topic across global literature and culture willallow you to write a project proposal.Project Proposal: ​Write one paragraph that explains your topic and why it is relevant to ascholarly and/or popular understanding of global literature and culture. Collaborate withDr. Mamolite by submitting this proposal for feedback on your ideas. ​Submit the Proposalby email no later than midnight on 11/30.

PROPOSAL TEMPLATEThis project will examine [​general topic]​ in global literature from ___ to ___. Inparticular, I am interested in investigating ​[who/what/where/how/why question — bespecific if you can!]. ​The texts from our course that lend themselves well to this researchquestion include ​[list texts.] ​Questions and concerns I have are ​[explain questions orconcerns].

STEP TWO: RESEARCH + CURATING THE EXHIBIT

In order to design a successful project, you need to know its parameters. At minimum, yourproject must include:●10 objects — creative expressions in literature, art, film, etc. — to include in yourcatalog.○You can find items to include in everyday life, by paying attention closely tosome of the literature, art, film, music, etc that you come into contact withon your topic. Here are some other places you might look:

■NYPL.org

■https://libguides.butler.edu/worldliterature

■https://www.oercommons.org/browse?batch_size=20&sort_by=title&view_mode=summary&f.keyword=world-literature

■https://www.nypl.org/blog/2016/08/31/world-lit-reading-list-open-book-night

■https://libguides.com.edu/WorldLitResources

●4 secondary articles that will help you to discuss some of the objects in your catalogin the Introductory Essay (see below).○You can find secondary articles using the CSI library Onesearch or databases:https://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/home○You can also find secondary articles using scholar.google.com

STEP THREE: DESIGNING THE EXHIBIT

As you wait for feedback, continue to research your exhibit and add objects to it. The finalproject, ​due December 11th​, must ultimately curate a museum exhibit that inlcudes thecomponents, and meets the requirements, listed below. (If you like, you can submit a draftof the project at any time, but no later than 12/6).Format: ​This project can take a variety of forms, including Word/Google Docs; PDF; Prezi;WordPress; website; Canva project; or some combination of the above. It MUST, however,include the following components in MLA style, with full works cited ​and ​in-text citations.

●Prospectus/Introductory essay​: a 5 page, double-spaced, MLA style essay on thetopic of your exhibit. You should use textual and visual evidence form at least ​FOURof your objects and ​TWO​ of your secondary sources to support your argument andcontextualize representative examples from the catalogue you have created. Theessay should make specific references textual, and, where possible, visual details ofthe objects. ​The essay should convey a clear message about why the manuscripts youchose all ‘fit’ together to tell a compelling story about the past: ​in order to do so, you’ll use visual and textual details that include, but are not limited to, metaphors, similes,motifs, tropes, symbolism, camera shots and angles, tone/lighting, dialogue, andother literary and cinematic techniques.○The essay must refer in detail to at least 4 of the objects you include in yourcatalogue (see below). When referring to these objects, please include thetitle of the work in the essay, as well as parenthetical references to pagenumbers for texts.○The essay must include citations in the proper MLA style, with bibliographyat the end ​(seehttps://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/resources.html​)​.

■It should be double spaced (Catalogue entries can be single spaced), 12point font, 1-1.25 in. margins

■It should include page numbers

●Catalogue:​ Your catalogue must include at least 10 objects included in your exhibit.Of these, at least 5 should be produced outside the US. After including an imagefrom each object, you must include a title, period, site/culture of origin, currentlocation (museum/library) if applicable, and a short paragraph using sometextual/visual details to explain how it connects to your exhibit topic

Bibliography:​ 4 scholarly sources used in composing your essay, ​plus any museumwebsites used to gather information on your objects. Note that when writing youressay you may need to refer to these websites in your footnotes – that is fine​. You donot need to quote or paraphrase directly from all 4 sources, but you should includefootnotes where you’ve used the information indirectly to inform your ideas.

●OPTIONAL Presentation (Extra Credit):​ Prepare a 4-slide presentation about yourexhibit. The first slide should introduce your topic and present key points that youcovered in the essay. The next 3 should highlight objects of your choice and explainhow they fit into your essay/argument. A template will be provided. Additionalcommentary can be placed in the notes section.RESOURCESTo help you with your project, we have compiled resources for a number of differentcategories. Please make use of them and do not hesitate to ask for help.EXHIBIT PROSPECTUS/INTRODUCTORY ESSAY EXAMPLES:https://www.themorgan.org/collection/Illuminating-Fashion*Note that this exhibit intersperses analysis of the catalogue items throughout,where this project will ask you to write one introductory essay discussing 4 items