The display of single-sheet material: two recent exhibitions at the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

This paper presents a new method for the display of single sheet material within a library context and uses two recent exhibitions at the Bodleian Library, Oxford as case studies. Most previous library exhibitions have concentrated on bound books, reflecting the predominant format within their collections. These two recent exhibitions, however, have concentrated almost entirely on single sheet items and they have both presented display problems arising from the large numbers of items to be exhibited; restrictions imposed by space which was designed to display bound books; and the permanent mounting system used within the two displayed collections. A panel mounting system using polyester (Mylar) slings to support the items and their backing sheets was developed and this allowed the backing sheets to be safely overlapped and a larger number of items to be displayed.

Both of these exhibitions raised issues about the display of single sheet items within a library context. The published display methods for single sheet items has largely been driven by the familiar museum and gallery print room storage system in the past but libraries have not tended to use these storage systems. These two case studies present a method of resolving the conflict that arises from the long term storage methods used at the Bodleian Library for single sheet material and their safe display and have implications for other museum, library and archive collections. Despite the focused subject, this methodology is important to other conservators preparing similar exhibits. It augments the exhibition of single-sheet library objects which so far has been difficult to display.