Exhibits: Illegitimate children of academic libraries?

Abstract

Academic libraries requiring evidence of scholarship and publication for faculty promotion and tenure often regard exhibits as worthwhile activities, but not intellectually rigorous ones that meet accepted academic standards. Tins is not necessarily the view of archivists and museum professionals, who believe exhibits can be important interpretive ventures based on original research which can make a major contribution to scholarship. To demonstrate that exhibits are a fully legitimate scholarly enterprise, this paper compares the intellectual and creative process of producing a scholarly article with that of preparing an exhibit. Academic concerns about exhibits as scholarship are considered, and advantages of exhibits as a form of scholarly communication are suggested.