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Library Site-Interventions: Skelhorn, Robert

Robert Skelhorn, Missing Books, 2007, Plastic Shadow Boxes.

Dirty Little Secrets

Robert Skelhorn, on hearing of the number of books that are removed from the collection by theft or careless disregard of circulation policies, mused at the concept that this becomes a form of censorship.  To this end, he requested a listing of lost or stolen books then created shadow boxes with the associated call numbers affixed to the “spines” of the “ghost books.” The result was a dramatic symbol of information that once was accessible, but was now lost.