Shelf Life, 2019

SHELF LIFE is a series of actions and a starting point for examining larger systems of power a reader might overlook for the merits or enjoyment of an individual book. These actions invite you to reflect on how your collected knowledge may be incomplete, even if there are some sections that feature a diversity of voices. Are there other areas where you may need to seek out more authors, resources, or publishers, and continue expanding your perspectives?

SHELF LIFE notably asks readers to sticker categories of books that might otherwise be viewed as normative, therefore the unmarked, invisible center.

SHELF LIFE was originally created by Related Tactics for Added Value: An Alternative Book Sale, a project commissioned by Public Knowledge, a partnership between the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the San Francisco Public Library. SHELF LIFE has travelled to Augusta University where it also manifested as a workshop session with students.

Read about SHELF LIFE: Sarah Rose Sharp for Hyperallergic and Stacey Eidson for Jagwire.

To purchase a copy of Shelf Life please visit Sming Sming Books & Objects or Printed Matter in NYC.

Collections: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Ricker Library of Architecture and Art, ArtCenter College of Design Library and University of Richmond’s Boatwright Memorial Library

Augusta University workshop with AU library and art and sociology students.

Augusta University workshop with AU library and art and sociology students.

RT collective members Michele Carlson and Nathan Watson workshopping with art and sociology students at Augusta University.