by Sarah Bender
Over time, some library books become too damaged or outdated to remain on the shelves. One option for these discarded books is to recycle them — but for Arts and Humanities Librarian Jill Chisnell at CMU Libraries, they present an untapped opportunity for hands-on creativity and innovation.
As an avid ephemera collector, zine enthusiast, and producer of the Libraries’ zine cart, Chisnell recognizes that many old art journals and magazines are filled with beautiful colors, rich papers, and whimsical midcentury designs. For several years now, she’s been adding pages from these damaged books to her ephemera collection.
“Weeding is emotional, even though the books can no longer be used for their original purpose,” she said. “I feel better giving these materials one final chance to be made into art — a last hurrah.”
In May of 2025, Chisnell attended the 53rd annual Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) conference, a virtual gathering of art information professionals. During a social break session hosted by the Stimulating Creativity in Practice (SCIP) special interest group, she connected with other librarians dedicated to making time for artistic practice and fostering creativity in others.
Chisnell introduced her collection of salvaged materials to the group, and offered to share. When librarians began reaching out to request ephemera for their own projects, Chisnell knew she had a chance to distribute these treasures across the continent and spread the joy of making to other institutions.
Goal
- To give damaged books that can no longer circulate a second life.
- To help librarians and library workers across North America find ways to nurture creativity and expression through zines and other types of crafting and collaging.
How We Helped
- At the end of May, Andrea Johnston, a subject librarian at Red Deer Polytechnic in Alberta, Canada, reached out to request materials. Chisnell sent her a pound of ephemera, as well as a copy of the Libraries’ “How to Library” zine as another source of inspiration.
- Next, Chisnell mailed a package to Heather Gendron, director of the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library at Yale University.
- At Baylor University Libraries, Museums, and the Press, Associate Dean of Research and Engagement and Librarian Sha Towers asked Chisnell to share some materials.
- In Fort Worth, Texas, Kimbell Art Museum’s Assistant Librarian Devin Selby contacted Chisnell to request an ephemera package as well.
Results
- Red Deer Polytechnic hosted their first zine workshop at the beginning of October. “It was a HUGE success! The attendees absolutely loved the session and even more, the ephemera,” Johnston reported to Chisnell. “We really can’t thank you enough for all your support in helping make this workshop a success.”
- Gendron and her team decided to use the ephemera to craft a zine sharing fun facts about the library. “[We’ll highlight] things having to do with the space, like our beloved/comfy Eero Saarinen-designed Womb chairs to Artists' Books 101,” she explained.
- The Baylor Book Arts and Letterpress Lab offered ephemera to their brand new zine club at their first zine-making session on September 2. “These pieces of ephemera are such an important jumping off point for creative work when you might otherwise feel stuck, or like you don’t have the bandwidth to dream from scratch,” Towers said. “Jill’s ephemera packets are such a great way to reclaim what would otherwise be discarded and give new life and purpose to devalued and discarded materials.”
- Chisnell will continue to salvage ephemera from old books and magazines, and share it both at CMU and with the wider community.