What does a library look like? Collections & Spaces
This irrepressible urge to create, to make something where there is nothing, is a defining characteristic of humanity. It persists through our earliest known history, when materials were limited to what we could imagine or find and refine, through to today, when “creation” includes forms that have few or no tangible features. Recently the library hosted a presentation by Cuban book artist Rolando Estévez. A founding member of the Cuban publishing collective Ediciones Vigía, Estévez and his cohort were determined to make books despite critical national shortages of basic materials, including paper. Working with scavenged stuff – paper begged from butcher shops, items plucked from the natural environment, a variety of found objects of a kind known to most of us as “trash” – Ediciones Vigía has been publishing poetry, short stories, literary criticism, and works for children since 1985 in editions of 200 copies, each made by hand.
What can I do to help? Call Mari Vaydik at (734) 936-2384 to discuss how your gift to the library can make a real difference in the areas most meaningful to you. Visit our online wish list to browse a wide range of giving opportunities, for inspiration or to give online (lib.umich.edu/giving-mlibrary/collections-wish-list). Consider a planned gift to the U-M Library. U-M has planned giving professionals who can answer all of your questions. Visit michigan.giftlegacy.com to learn more.