BOOKSHELVES is a socially engaged library project designed to conjoin cerebral and somatic experiences of text. At its core is a floor-to-ceiling sculpture of moveable shelves that contain the 3307 non-circulating collection of books and other text-based media. Artists, writers and researchers are invited to engage the collection through seasonal “thought residencies” that last for three-month periods. Each resident oversees the re-categorization of the permanent collection, rearranges the design of the shelving structure, curates three of the shelves with titles on-loan from their home collection, and collaborates with 3307 director Amanda Martin Katz to create an immersive reading-environment installation. BOOKSHELVES is also a platform for public programming, with each residency featuring a performance, discussion, or meal that translates the text-based inquiry into an embodied format. These online project pages contain documentation of residency installations and public programs, as well as texts written by each resident to accompany their titles on-loan. For more information about a particular book, including where you might find a copy outside of 3307, feel free to send us an email.

Visitors are invited to explore the collection during each resident’s open library hours and by appointment.