San Francisco Public Library
3rd, 4th, and 5th Floors
With the move to the new Main Library, items in the card catalog (used to access the collection for more than 100 years) have been replaced by an online computer system.
Artists Ann Hamilton and Ann Chamberlain embedded these obsolete cards in plaster covering the principal diagonal wall on three levels of the building.
Each card is annotated with a quote from its corresponding book or from another book associated with the title by subject matter.
Nearly 200 individuals annotated the cards in a dozen different languages. The cards not only represent a process of research unique to the person who created them but also expresses the diverse meanings derived from reading.
Moreover, the annotations on the cards expose the interior of books-the text at the heart of a library’s holdings. The wall represents a window into a world of books that can be browsed by those who enjoy the library and its collection.
The project was part of the 2% for Arts program and cost $108,000.
