Spring meeting for Photography Librarians SIG

Annie Sollinger works in Special Collections and University Archives at UMass Amherst with the title of Visual Archivist. Among the historical photo collections and archives of photojournalists are the papers of the photographer and visual artist Susan Kleckner (1941-2010). Starting in 2023, Annie worked with curator Bill Kaizen on an exhibition of Kleckner's work, Raw Material, which opened at Haverford College in January 2026. Mounting an exhibition from this unique collection presented many challenges and opportunities around access to archival collections, funding, transport, and display.

In 2025, Head Librarian Andrew Wang was offered the opportunity to curate an exhibition in the photography galleries at the North Carolina Museum of Art. The exhibition, Then and There, Here and Now: Contemporary Visions of North Carolina, coincided with our museum’s second biennial art book fair, and provided an opportunity to connect the two in a low stakes program with a local photobook enthusiast community. Though the exhibition and fair took place outside of the library, these initiatives have expanded the public’s awareness of our library and led to significant donations, as well as more future collaboration opportunities on the horizon.

Hope to see you there!