DigitalCommons@RISD

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  Auto Communication

  Miriam Schaer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  concertina fold spine with pamphlet sewn signatures, bound in paper covered boards, housed in a cloth covered clamshell box; book and box decorated with plastic toy trucks; box cover; cover; interior spreads; detail. Assorted bits of paper signs, pamphlets, business cards, flyers and other debris found on the streets of Manhattan are collaged to communicate street life in a busy city.

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  Sylvæ: fifty specimens printed directly from the wood with historical anecdotes & observations

  Gaylord Schanilec, Ben Verhoeven, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  case bound with fold-out pages, bound in oak cover boards with leather spine and foil stamped spine label; cover; interior pages and spreads. Fifty specimens of timber trees on the farm property of Gaylord Shanilec are printed in full color woodcuts. Anecdotes about the making of the book, the trees, and the neighbors give personality to each tree sample. Ben Verhoeven is RISD alumnus.

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  Denial

  Wilber Chip Schilling, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  pamphlet stitch; cover; interior pages and spreads. Various definitions of "denial" provide a broader understanding of the phenomenon of Elvis sightings.

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  Reminder: an open book test

  Wilber Chip Schilling, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  accordion fold with 2 slipcases, one of which looks like the top of a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Cover; interior pages, accordions, folded out; detail. Self-guided test to determine personality through color with an underlying suggestion that smoking addiction can be predicted based on psychological testing.

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  Where do we start?

  Wilber Chip Schilling, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  maze book accordion variation with fold-out flaps, enclosed in a cloth covered portfolio with sleeves for CD's and housed in a cloth covered slipcase with foil stamped title; cover; title page; interior spreads . With drawings, photos and anecdotes, 2 men describe how they obtained an education despite the pitfalls of the educational institutions of their youth. Full stories are recorded on acompanying CD's.

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  The End of the Wasp Season

  Erin K. Schmidt, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 artists' book. Edition of three numbered and signed copies. Title, artist's name, edition statement, and artist's email address written in pencil on paper board which attaches the cover boards in place. Publication date from artist's invoice. "The title of this work is taken from the title of the book 'the end of wasp season' which has been altered into the form of a wasp nest. Nine small whirlwind bound books are nestled into the brood cells, tucked away like larvae. Within the brood cells images of wasps have been rubber stamped in social groupings, but their numbers decrease leaving very few wasps in the cells at the end of the book. The nine small books address the issue of pesticide use. The first page of each book incites an immediate visceral response to a wasp encounter. The second and third pages consider prenatal exposure to a common household pesticide synergist, piperonyl butoxide, and its harmful effects on neurodevelopment as discussed in studies published in the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics and Environmental Health Perspectives."--Artists' statement. "The imagery used in the nine small books are manipulated ultrasound images of both of my children."--Artists' statement. Library has copy no. 1. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition Stacked & Altered, summer 2022.

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  your name is safe, you can rest now

  Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  5 folding panels . "Your Name is Safe, You Can Rest Now is a letter to my great-uncle Rikio who died in WWII explaining the impact that his death had on our family for generations. Every household in my family had this photograph of his funeral on their butsudan, a Buddhist altar. Rikio fought in the US Army Infantry 442nd Regiment which consisted almost entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans, and holds the record of being the most highly decorated unit in US Military History. While Rikio and others in Hawaii fought for the US, our family members on the mainland were held in internment camps. Rikio was the youngest of my grandmother's siblings, and was killed in action in 1944 at the age of 20"--accompanying materials.

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  Divisive and Diverse: A U.S. Voting Story

  Scripps College Students, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 sheet : illustrations. Cover title. "Fall 2016." Edition of 80 copies. Creators: Vanessa Hayes, Eleanor Lynch, Samantha Nuno, Marissa Schow, Stephanie Sun, and Caroline Thomas. "Under the supervision of Professor Blassingame, the book was printed on Rives Lightweight paper and the book's container was printed on Langdell Handmade paper. it was letterpress printed using handset metal and wood type. The metal typefaces include Ehrhardt and Ehrhardt Italic, Gill Sans Small Caps, Fournier, Univers and wood type"--Colophon. Hedi Kyle fishbone fold book structure. An artists' book exploring voting rights and identity politics. "We created this book with the intent of shedding light on the history of voting rights within the United States. Our goal was to share voices not often heard within the mainstream and to build a more nuanced conversation then was offered during the polarizing 2016 election period." Library has copy no. 69. Instructor Tia Blassingame is RISD Alumna. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.

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  1 in 3: Women have been slapped, pushed, or shoved

  Jaime Shafer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 volume unpaged. Cover title. Limited edition of 25 copies, signed and numbered by the artist. "Printed at the Black Rock Press using a Vandercook Universal I and inkjet pigments. Letterpress printed from metal type and polymer plates on Stonehenge paper. Inkjet printed on Hahnemuhle Duo and Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art paper. Found and altered photographs"--Colophon. Hedi Kyle's flag book structure, bound in paper over boards. An outline of a woman's head is printed on the back of the accordion spine. Text letterpress printed in red and grey on flags and cover boards. Flags feature inset altered portraits of female victims of domestic violence. Issued in a blue cloth over boards slipcase. "1 in 3 was inspired by recent media attention focusing on domestic violence. Creating this piece proved more difficult than I expected. It forced me to reflect on my own experiences with domestic abuse. Those who have never been in an abusive relationship usually ask, 'Why did s/he stay?' Unless you have experienced it, it is hard to understand. This is not an all-inclusive representation of domestic abuse. However, I hope that the content of this book helps the viewer to better understand the victim's point of view and the lack of resources that often hinder a victim's ability to escape the situation.. The narrative on the covers and end sheets were inspired by personal experience, discussion with others who have experienced abuse, and victims' testimonies"--Colophon.

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  Three Cages

  Joyce Cutler Shaw, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  accordion variation in triangular shape, with folded paper wrapper; book enclosed in wrapper; partially unfolded wrapper with closed book; book closed; page spread; partially unfolded; colophon. number 12 in an edition of 250, signed by the artist, paper engineering by Allwyn Bookbinder

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  REF

  Shift-Lab, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 container, 15 parts. "REF is an investigation into the erosion of the physical reference area of the library, and the fundamental shift taking place in the way we ask and answer questions. This project was produced by the members of Shift-lab: Katie Baldwin, Denise Bookwalter, Sarah Bryant, Macy Chadwick, and Tricia Treacy. Artists worked individually and collaboratively to produce elements inspired by the traditional components of a physical reference section: Almanac, Atlas, Bibliography, Biographical Dictionary, Chronology, Concordance, Dictionary, Directory, Encyclopedia, Gazetteer, Guidebook, Handbook, Index, Manual, and Yearbook."--Big Jump Press. "As we designed our responses to traditional elements of the reference section, we used several dates as loose organizational principles to tie our work together: 1963: The publication of Automation and the Library of Congress -- 1991: The Gore Bill, which led to the World Wide Web as we know it today -- 1993: the publication of Planning Second Generation Automated Library Systems and the release of Mosaic, the web browser that popularized the World Wide Web -- 2001: the arrival of Wikipedia."--Shift-lab. REF components are housed together in a custom archival document flip top box with an ascending accordion folder structure. Printing methods include letterpress, risograph, screenprinting, laser printing, and digital printing. Binding formats include concertina, spiral bound, document binder, pamplet, double pamplet, folder, paper envelope.

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  Shift

  Shift-Lab, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 box, contains 5 books and 3 folded cards. Each artist created a small book of identical dimensions to reflect her interpretation of the word "SHIFT". Edition limited to 20 copies, numbered and signed by artists. Five books issued in drop-lid box, covered in grey fabric with paper title label and magnetic closure. CONTENTS 1825-1862-1918 (Shift) / K. Baldwin -- Shape shifting / Denise Bookwalter -- Shift in position / Sarah Bryant -- A shift in perspective / Macy Chadwick -- Redirecting shift / Tricia Treacy.

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  Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies

  Taryn Simon, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  606 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 30 cm. Continuation of: Taryn Simon: Birds of the West Indies, ISBN: 9783775736633. Contents: Wonderful machines / Nico Baumbach -- Field guide to birds of the West Indies -- James Bond's correspondence, Awards, and Artifacts; Maps and Publications -- A speck of dust in that black hole / Daniel Baumann. Includes bibliographical references.

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  Yes, I Answered You Last Night

  Rosemary V. Simpkins, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 accordion pleated volume (16 pages) : illustrations. "Elizabeth Barrett Moulton Barrett and Robert Browning, one hundred fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration, 1846 12th September 1996"--Outer envelope. ""Yes, I answered you last night ...", from Elizabeth Barrett's lyric 'The Lady's Yes', captures the essence of two people's dreams of a happy future life together in spite of very conservative traditions and strong family opposition"--page [1] of accordion pleated text in folded postcard. "The semi-transparent printed sleeve portrays the imposing facade of the St. Marylebone Parish Church. The secret book slips out of the sleeve, revealing eight righs on either side (eight being a symbol of two rings, the infinity of the circle, and two lives linked forever). The rings on the right are Robert Browning's, and contain excerpts from the Marriage liturgy. The rings on the left are Elizabeth Barrett's, who was standing on her future husband's left. The first rings on both sides contain information taken directly from the Marriage record, followed by excerpts from Elizabeth Barrett's Sonnets from the Portuguese, numbers XXII, XXIV, XXV and XLIV. ... As the rings part, they lead the way to the intimate area of the altar, as a couple approach it"--page [1] of accordion pleated text in folded postcard. "First edition no. 109/150"--Cover page [4]. Postcard comes in envelope and book comes in semi-transparent printed sleeve portraying the facade of the St. Marylebone Parish Church, both of which are contained in a larger envelope (16 x 20 cm.).

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  It Wasn't Little Rock

  Clarissa Sligh, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations (some color) . Commemorates the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) decision. "This softcover edition of 150 books was printed on an Indigo Digital Press"--Colophon. Author describes her family's experience with racism and school integration. As a high school student, the author was named lead plaintiff in Clarissa Thompson et al. v. County School Board of Arlington County (June 1956), a school desegregation class action suit filed in U.S. District Court. Metal spiral binding. Signed by the author on the title-page. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.

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  Transforming Hate: an artists' book

  Clarissa Sligh, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  108 unnumbered pages (including covers) : color illustrations. "March 2016"--Colophon. Limited edition of 1000 copies. The Montana Human Rights Network asked artists to make artwork that would "incorporate, respond to, or transform" pages from "The White Man's Bible", a white supremacist book.--from page [2]. PROVENANCE: Author's autograph on front book flap. Perfect bound softcover. Four-color offset lithography. Illustrated paper wrappers with flaps. Housed in foldout die-cut box with gold foil origami crane inserted into cover slot. Signed and numbered by the artist on book's front cover flap -- Description from http://vampandtramp.com/finepress/s/clarissa-sligh.html "Book, cover and case designed by Susan Rhew Design, Inc. and printed by Blue Ridge Printing, both of Asheville, NC."--Colophon. Library has copy no. 243. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.

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  Purgatoys

  Esther Smith, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  tri-fold brochure with cut flaps and pull up extension, expandable fan, concertina mobius strip, volvelle, paper mobile; all 5 "books' slotted into folder; cover; interior spread, two 'toys'; details of 'toys'. Five books, letterpress printed, with movable parts that can be manipulated, hung, or constructed like toys.

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  Book 91

  Keith A. Smith, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 volume, 24 leaves each strung together with linen cords. An art work, without printing except for the embossed t.p. Termed a "string book" in the artist's Structure of the visual book, 1984, p. 95. Its leaves are strung together with linen cords and punched with holes to create varying effects of light and shadow when viewed with a single light source.

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  The Book of Neglects: highlights of a week

  Patricia Smith, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  dos à dos accordion fold book with pop-up elements; cover; colophon; interior spreads; accordion, folded out. For one week the artist tracks the degree to which she has neglected her job, art, home, friends, husband, and children, using pop-up strips and color coding.

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  Urgency Reader

  Paul Soulellis, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  1 volume, 252 pages. "Urgency Reader is a quick assembling of texts, risograph printed in Pawtucket, RI, and bound as a book at the last minute to launch at the Odds and Ends Art Book Fair at Yale University Art Gallery on December 6, 2019. Suggested topics from the open call included: urgency, craft, queerness, gender, transformation, kinship, race, survival.."--cover wrapper.

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  A Passage

  Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  case bound in hard cover with silk covered boards; cover; top view of text block; interior pages and spreads, detail; colophon. Book consists of 181 identical pages bound and torn vertically by the artist. The page stubs gradually increase and the resulting text block forms a triangular shape. Content of the text is blurry until the full pages can be completely read. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition Stacked & Altered, summer 2022.

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  Details: closed to open

  Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  perfect bound with soft cover; cover; title page; interior pages. Close up photographs individual hands from a mob of people attending a peace rally reveal the attitude of the individual, closed or open…anger or pacifism.

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  Public / Private Peace: selections from the Swarthmore College Peace Collection

  Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  saddle stitch with plastic translucent cover and cloth covered spine; interior pages. Catalog featuring several installations of work based on photographs in the Swarthmore Peace Collection.

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  The Position of the Author

  Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

  saddle stitch with soft cover; cover; title page; interior spreads and pages. Portraits of various authors, as typically found on book dust jackets, convey the personality of the author through body language, pose, and props. Behind these portraits are scenes of various personal library collections, reading spaces and bookshelves.