“Crossing Borders—From Slavery to Abolition (1670-1875)”: A Collaborative Student Exhibition at the Haverford College Libraries

Document Type

Book Chapter

Role

Author

Published In

Teaching Text Technologies and Critical Bibliography Among the Disciplines: Objects of Study

Publisher

Routledge

First Page

234

Last Page

246

Publication Date

5-14-2025

Abstract

This chapter presents a case study describing the creation and implementation of a collaborative student exhibition that opened in Haverford College’s Lutnick Library on March 2, 2020. Over the course of the fall 2019 semester, the students of Sarah Wilma Watson’s first-year writing seminar worked together to curate a full-scale library exhibition entitled “Crossing Borders—From Slavery to Abolition (1670–1865).” With the support of Sarah M. Horowitz, Head of Quaker & Special Collections, the 12 writing seminar students selected 24 artifacts, prepared and peer-reviewed labels, and collectively brainstormed the conceptual organization and physical layout of the exhibition. In February 2020, students had the opportunity to participate in the installation of the exhibition and in March, they attended the exhibition opening and shared their experience of working on the exhibition with an audience of students, faculty, staff, and local community members. This chapter explores the initial planning stages of the exhibition, the importance of flexibility as the project developed, and the exciting results of cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Keywords

exhibits, writing program, anti-slavery


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