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Exhibit Committee Policy
Program Purpose
The purpose of the Exhibits Program is to present the library and the university to all segments of the academic community and to the public at large in the most positive manner possible to encourage their political, financial and moral support for the university and the library.
Program Goals
The Exhibits Program is managed and implemented by the Exhibits Committee, which reports to the Libraries' Leadership Council. The Committee selects and presents exhibits that serve one or more of the following goals:
- Promotion of the role of the library, its collections, resources and services central to the research and teaching programs of the university.
- Development of opportunities to cooperate with liaison librarians, library friends, donors, university departments, programs, faculty and students; and with regional artists, scholars, and cultural agencies in the sponsoring of exhibits and related events.
- Enrichment of the intellectual and cultural life of the university community.
- Promotion of the library and the university as cultural resources for the citizens of Connecticut.
- Visual enhancement of the library spaces.
Exhibit Spaces
These guidelines apply to formal exhibit spaces in the Homer D. Babbidge Library, the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, and the Music & Dramatic Arts Library as follows:
- Babbidge Library, Gallery on the Plaza
- Babbidge Library, Norman D. Stevens Gallery
- Dodd Center, Gallery
- Dodd Center, West Corridor
- Music & Dramatic Arts Library, Main Corridor
Eligible Exhibitors
The Exhibits Committee may grant permission to present an exhibit to:
- The University Community: Individual staff, faculty, or students, departments, program, or other groups affiliated with the University.
- Others: Individuals, organizations, groups or societies having as their primary objective a philanthropic, charitable, educational, scientific, artistic, professional or sporting character or other purposes and objectives beneficial to the community.
Exhibit Content
The Exhibits Committee aims to present exhibits that are of broad, general appeal, designed for the interest of and viewing by the university community and the public generally, rather than of a purely scholarly or narrow academic nature.
Suggested subject areas for exhibits include historical, cultural, scientific, artistic, recreational, athletic, educational, and social or community related topics.
Because the university and the library are concerned with academic freedom and the free expression of opinion, the library will not exercise any censorship of exhibit materials; images, labels, catalogs, or promotional literature which do not offend the guidelines as expressed below.
The Exhibits Committee views the library as a focus for the presentation of ideas, some of which may be controversial, even offensive to segments of the viewing population. Materials that may arouse controversy because of their political, religious or sexual views will be considered and may be judged acceptable if presented appropriately. If the committee approves an exhibit that is strongly partisan, it will give serious consideration to the presentation of other points of view should these be offered for exhibit.
Materials that are judged by the committee to be defamatory, willfully false, obscene, blasphemous, inciting to racial hatred, or discriminatory within official university guidelines, will be excluded.
The library and the Exhibits Committee subscribes to the American Library Association's interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights as it applies to exhibits, specifically:
The library should not censor or remove an exhibit because some members of the community may disagree with its content. Those who object to the content of any exhibit held at the library should be able to submit their complaint and/or their own exhibit proposals to be judged according to the policies established by the library.
Complaint Procedure
Once materials in an exhibit have been judged by the committee to meet its guidelines for presentation and the exhibit has been mounted, the exhibit in whole or in part will not be removed in response to any complaint about its content. Objections to the content of an exhibit will, however, be addressed formally as follows:
- Complaints will be referred to the chair the Exhibits Committee.
- An opportunity to discuss the complaint in person, with the chair or with members of the Exhibits Committee will be provided if the complainant so desires.
- Similarly, an opportunity to submit a written complaint will be offered.
- In either case, the chair of the Exhibits Committee will assemble at least half of the committee to discuss the complaint and to formulate a response.
- A written response will be provided to the complainant with a copy to the director of library services
- If the complainant remains unsatisfied, the director of library services may take further action as he or she sees fit, short of asking the Exhibits Committee to alter the offending exhibit.
The full text of the ALA statement is at: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm