Redefining the Role of the Library Through Exhibit
San Francisco Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
San Francisco Public Library is reshaping its Exhibitions Program to offer an entry to the arts through displays, installations and artistic programming that highlight the Bay Area’s diverse artistic and cultural communities and the library’s special collections. By offering no-barrier access to the arts, SFPL helps to create and sustain a healthy arts ecosystem for intergenerational audiences. Through homegrown exhibitions, exhibition programs, artist engagements and site-specific installations, we strive to ensure the arts are accessible to all, expand the role of art in literacy and learning and encourage patrons to access SFPL archives and collections. By facilitating artistic experiences onsite, San Francisco Public Library provides a platform for sharing stories, ideas and knowledge that shape the cultural fabric of our vibrant city and offer pathways for (re)discovering collection materials.
Challenge/Opportunity
1. With the loss of galleries, art schools and artist studios, there is a critical need for viable spaces for artists to research, develop and share their work. The Main Library has a dedicated gallery, and Affinity Centers where artists can conduct research, exhibit their work, share their stories and connect with audiences. Here, we saw an opportunity to:
a. Change the perception of the library as a platform for the arts and artists.
b. Grow our audiences; engage people who don't view the library as a place for them.
2. There’s both a decrease in circulation and a lack of awareness for the City’s collections, which largely remain hidden. Exhibitions are a conduit for connecting audiences to traditional collections (Bibliocommons lists connecting to related books, media and other resources) and SFPL’s archives and collections (Book Arts and Special Collections, SF History Center, Hormel Center). Offer diverse modes of engagement through arts and exhibition-related programming.
Key Elements of Innovation
A team of four full-time staff develop and facilitate a robust calendar of exhibitions across the system. We also curate our own exhibitions to elevate local artists and showcase SFPL archives and collections. We accept exhibition proposals from internal and external partners; our collaborators are librarians, artists, curators and community members looking for a viable and supportive platform for engagement. Libraries are not commonly considered spaces for art exhibitions, yet those that have gallery space provide free, zero-barrier access to the arts, which is important as San Francisco continues to lose traditional art spaces. Through exhibitions and related programs—art making workshops, artist talks, tours—we offer new modes for learning and literacy, help redefine the library and expand its role in our community.
Achieved Outcomes
• Exhibition attendance numbers in the SFPL’s Jewett Gallery, the one exhibit space at the Main that tracks those numbers, have increased exponentially in the last three years with SFPL’s new approach to Exhibition development.
• Another measure of success is the qualitative data collected through exhibition comment books and in-gallery participatory elements, giving patrons an opportunity to share the impact of exhibitions on their own learning, perspectives and lives.
• Anecdotal stories from librarians about the impact of exhibitions on audiences, e.g., increased number of patrons requesting exhibition-related materials and exhibitions being used by community groups as tools for literacy and learning.
• News stories and social media engagement.
• New partnerships include: local artist, Marbie Miller, SF Arts Commission, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Tenderloin Museum, SF Rec Park.
