Featured Art Library: Emily Carr University of Art + Design

The ECUAD Artists’ Books Collection is located in Vancouver, British Columbia and provides a broad range of artwork constructed in various book formats. The collection is used to inspire students and help them develop information literacy skills by considering the conceptual and social aspects of artists’ books. Classes from print media, illustration, and other disciplines visit the collection to learn about artists’ books as democratic multiples, archives, or art appropriation while having the opportunity to physically interact with rare materials from the artist book canon and contemporary works. 

The collection features a variety of printing and binding techniques to illustrate the various possibilities for book construction and design. Library users can gain inspiration by viewing a range of items including accordion folded, hand sewn, bolt bound, staple bound, fabric or paper books printed with riso printers, screens, xerox machines, stamps or laser printers. Library users can also consider ways of reimagining the traditional colophon with examples of books that are sculptural in their structure.

The collection consists of over 1700 artists books created from the 1960s to present. The library started collecting artists’ books in the early 2000s following a generous donation of artists’ books by local artist, Ian Wallace. The donation includes conceptual works by Yoko Ono and Ed Ruscha, and works from the Fluxus movement such as Water Yam by George Brecht. Local Vancouver artists are also well represented in the collection, with items by alumni, faculty and local artists such as Stan Douglas, Ken Lum and Antonia Hirsch. Students are grateful to have access to a collection to learn about the possibilities in art book making.

Please visit the Ron Burnett Library + Learning Commons website to learn more about collections, services, and resources.