Constructive destruction: Examining the life cycle of texts through RE:BOOK

For two years running, Claremont Colleges Library (CCL) in Claremont, California, has held RE:BOOK, a National Library Week contest that invites students to submit art projects made from worn-out books and other forms of cast-off paper. The event has been highly successful, establishing CCL as a curator of student work and inspiring beautifully creative projects from six of the seven institutions that make up the Claremont Colleges consortium.1 RE:BOOK has also caused controversy, raising questions among some students and faculty about the propriety of intentionally repurposing books—objects that are considered by many to be inviolable and not suitable as fodder for re-expression. Which begs an important question: When does a book outlive its intended use, and what (legitimately) happens next? As a makerspirited celebration/art show, RE:BOOK is one library’s approach to not only acknowledging this question, but challenging its community to confront it head-on.