Smith College
Exhibit Design: Proun Design, LLC
Copywriting: Sarah Morris
Fabrication: WB Inc.
Budget: $65k
Size: 612sf
The Neilson Library evolved dramatically over its 112 years, culminating with Maya Lin’s transcendant new design. Today, as always, it is Smith’s vital center, the connection between north and south campus and the intellectual crossroads for the college community and campus visitors. This new exhibit celebrates the library’s rich architectural history and its expanding role as it responds to the needs of today’s Smith student.
Permanent cases display images and artifacts that convey the vital role that the Library plays in the life of the Smith student and chronicles the architectural evolution of the building. Floor cases feature a cross-section of the Library's collection: from works by Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Keats to more current titles on Afrofuturism, social media, and gender identity while a timeline highlights the important contributions of Librarians and faculty. Inspired by a beloved "secret" corner under a stairwell of the old Library, a Graffiti Board encourages self-expression.