The Artivism Library® Collection Opens 2025

Discover the artivism library collection

During the 2023-2024 school year, PEN America recorded 10,046 instances of book bans. So where are all the banned books going? The Artivism Library Collection! We aim to house the most extensive banned book collection as an independent library.

Based on the “Third Library is Possible” project, The Artivism Library Collection is a free interactive literary spatial experience of a curated collection of books [banned, rare, and unique] that will build on digitized works donated from different movements and moments. This space is designed for art-based, practice-based, and creative research. The Artivism Library is where reading creates experiences intentionally focused on artivism.

The concept of The Artivism Library Collection is truly innovative and inspiring. Designed by Social Art and Culture, this library collection will provide a unique platform for socially engaged artists to explore, learn, and create through art-based, practice-based, and creative research. The Artivism Library is not a place for checking out books but the intentional focus on artivism ensures that the space serves as more than just a repository of books—it becomes a catalyst for meaningful dialogue, activism, and creative expression.

The library is slated to open in 2025 in the Historic Anacostia Arts and Culture District in Washington, D.C. In 2023, Mayor Bowser said, “The Arts and Culture District will be a new destination for residents and visitors—a place for people who want to witness the talent of DC creatives and enjoy DC culture.”

The Artivism Library-themed shelves will use art, design, culture, and space encompassing music, artifacts, and objects installed on the shelves and on and within the walls. Each section correlates with the area of focus within social justice themes.

Supported in part by We Act Radio Network/NMG, The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Capital Projects Grant, and Charnice Milton Community Bookstore

The Experience

Our Mission

In today's fast-paced world, where information is often consumed passively or superficially, creating spaces like The Artivism Library Collection is essential for promoting deep, meaningful engagement with ideas and fostering connections between individuals who are passionate about social change and artistic expression—artivism.

The Need to Diversify Library Science Information Programs: According to the Department for Professional Employees (DPE), just over 82 percent of librarians identified as white in 2022. However, only 4.3 percent identified as Black or African American, a steep decline from 9.5 percent in 2020. Librarians identified as Hispanic or Latinx numbered 8.0 percent, and those identifying as Asian-American or Pacific Islander made up 5.1 percent.

Our Vision

Our Mission

Libraries are gatekeepers to more than information. Libraries preserve knowledge and culture in the community, mainly marginalized and unhoused, as they sit in the public realm.

The Artivism Library Collection presents opportunities for community development, economic growth, social equity, and environmental stewardship for art and culture. To ensure our sustainability, a model and framework must extend beyond the dependence on public funding to include philanthropic engagement. United Nations 2030 goals emphasize library opportunities for community development, economic growth, social equity, and environmental stewardship, and The Artivism Library Collection must be part of this.

Our Who

Our Mission

Our Who

The library will be accessible to all, with personalized visual learning experiences guided in exploration by library curators and archivists. Artivists need space to read, study, and research alone and together. This library will serve artists, activists, and creators focused on social practice. We want the library's guests to be stewards of the space - caregivers of it.

The Artivism Library will house a librarian with a Master's in archival studies. Guest librarians and independent bookstores will collaborate with TALC librarians and visitors from within the region to curate a special shelf collection yearly.

The Artivism Library® Collection @ Eaton

February 26 - March 31, 2024

The Artivism Library® Collection @ Eaton DC is an exciting and enriching initiative that combines art, activism, and community engagement. Not a lending space, the activation provides access to curated books and literary works covering a wide range of topics, from art history to social justice, the pop-up experience offers visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves in thought-provoking content and spark meaningful conversations.

The contributions from The National Gallery of Art and Charnice Milton Community Bookstore undoubtedly enrich the collection at The Artivism Library Collection @ Eaton. The variety of perspectives, topics, and styles represented in these donated books ensures that visitors have a wide range of resources to explore, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand in art and practice research.

By making these resources available to all, regardless of background or affiliation, The Artivism Library Collection @ Eaton serves as a beacon of inclusivity and empowerment within the community.

View The list of curated books before you visit

The Artivism Library® Collection Opens 2025

Discover the artivism library collection

Reimagine the possibility of a “Third Library,” a new space transcending individual institutions by challenging what we have come to know about the libraries of the past in order to create the library of the very near future.

The Experience

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our Vision

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our Who

Our Mission

Our Who

Buy A Brick: The Artivism Library® Collection

Buy A Brick: The Artivism Library® Collection

The Artivism Library® Collection @ Eaton

February 26 - March 31, 2024

Our Partners