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Student Narrative
An adaptation of Jorge Luis Borges' "The Library of Babel," this book aims to make the complexities of the infinite Library presented in the short story easily understood as both an explanatory book and a representation of its rooms. Borges describes the universe as a library that contains all possible variations of a given set of orthographic symbols within 410-page books. The books are kept on shelves in hexagonal rooms, each room interconnected with hallways and ventilation shafts in the center. On its exterior folds, this illustrated book describes the basic structure of each room (first tier), the narrator's understanding of the Library (second tier), and noted groups of "librarians" that roam through the Library (third tier). On the interior, the shelves of books in each room are drawn, creating a physical example of a hexagonal room on each tier.
Publication Date
12-1-2024
Description
Entry for the 11th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest. Opening reception and award ceremony Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 6:30pm, Fleet Library, Main Reading Room. Juror: Roger S. Williams.
Keywords
artists' books; Baker & Whitehill
Disciplines
Book and Paper
Student Status
Undergraduate student
Year of Graduation
2027
Major
Illustration
Faculty / Course
Prof. Dustin Aaron; The Illustrated Book
Materials + Techniques
Illustration board, black, red, and gold ink on drawing paper
Recommended Citation
Phan, Mailee; Collections, Special; and Library, Fleet, "The Library of Babel" (2024). 11th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2025. 40.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/bookcontest11th2025/40
