Panel: Stories from the Margins: Inspiring Social Justice Activism and Empowerment within Marginalized Communities through Exhibits and Programming

In this session, panelists from three institutions discuss their efforts to inspire and empower marginalized communities to engage in social justice activism through exhibits, programming, and storytelling. #1: "Out of the Closets and into the Archives! Empowering Queer Activism and Community through Archival Exhibits and Programming.” LGBTQ+ archives, although few and far between, are the keepers of their communities’ stories. By sharing these stories through exhibits and programming, these community archives have the potential to educate and empower LGBTQ+ patrons to become engaged citizen activists through interaction with traditional and non-traditional primary sources. In this session, volunteer exhibit curators from the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, the largest LGBTQ+ archive serving the Midwest, will discuss their experiences producing community-led exhibits and accompanying programs that have energized local LGBTQ+ communities and helped to establish the library as a catalyst for social justice activism. From drag shows to zine making workshops to a queer punk rock show and more, presenters will share examples of non-traditional, community-inspired library programming and how these and the exhibits they accompany have led to empowered citizenry, increased outside partnerships, and strengthened the library’s presence in the community. #2: “Zine Scene: Engaging Students in Power and Resistance Narratives Through Zines.” Zines, from Punk and the Riot Grrrls to contemporary zines created by people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, are inherently intertwined with social action and countercultures seeking to subvert and resist authority. This session will begin by examining the history of zines and how the spirit driving their creation makes them an excellent tool for teaching and engaging students with social justice issues. Then, it will detail how the Arts and Humanities Librarian at an academic university has collaborated with faculty and other campus departments to facilitate dialogues about social ...