Info 202 Fall 2011

Scanners, a temporary used book / art installation celebrates the dying business model of brick and mortar stores for one, and used book stores in particular. Its name is a reference to the ancient act of book store browsing, and the new phenomenon of shoppers using their smart phones to scan book ISBN codes with price-checking apps; the first echo's the the joy of perusing through well worn pages of musky tomes, while the latter comments on the demise of brick and mortar stores as they have become unwilling and unpaid displays for online book sellers.

The compact pop-up book store contains collections of books that have been selected for their immediate and personal attraction to the curators. Aesthetics and a predilection for kitsch play a significant role in the eclectic selection and arrangement of the books; grouping the books according to common genres, for example to optimize retrieval of desired books, clearly was not a goal of the curators.

Instead, books are organized according to varying criteria across three regions of the store. First, on the side walls one can find the brightest and most exotic books; their color and shape were the main drivers for selection and arrangement. Next, on three large tables one finds books that often-times form groupings, playing with the notion of granularity; some groups of books form interesting juxtapositions such as "The Feminine Mystique next to a book of homoerotic fiction". Lastly, various book shelves contain the remainder of the books.

What is being organized

An eclectic collection of used physical books.

Why is it being organized

To enable novel ways of discovering and engaging with physical books by challenging the norms of how they are organized and exhibited.

How much is it being organized

The organization lacks explicit descriptions; it is driven by intrinsic properties that are apparent at the surface of the objects as well as extrinsic properties buried deep in the artists' minds.

When is it being organized

The books were organized prior to the launch of the book store. As books are presumably often sold individually, the relationships between some books that form mini collections are affected. Unlike traditional book stores the organizational scheme of this ephemeral book store will vanish when the project closes its doors on October 31st.

By whom is it being organized

By two local book sellers and artists: Matt Borruso and Nick Hoff.

More at http://scannersproject.com/