Social, ∞, National Library of Kosova, Pristina
Initiated by Shannon Bool and Adrian Williams, the Contemporary Library is a collection of contemporary art books and artist editions housed within the National Library of Kosovo, and is currently maintained by local artists. During the Kosovo War, the building was occupied as a military command post and many of the library's holdings were damaged and lost, leading to a deficit in haptic art resources. This collection is a response to that deficit. To acquire resources, mailing lists from German art institutions were used to contact thousands of working artists and fellow institutions. Contributors were asked each to submit one catalog or book specific to their person or institution, along with an accompanying resource, which they considered fundamental to an arts library. Some resources are duplicate or triplicate within the collection, such as James Joyce‘s "Ulysses" and James Baldwin's, "Giovanni's Room," which reflect their relevance for the practitioners who submitted them, and are linked to their donors through labels. The collection contains: monographies, exhibition catalogs, literature, films, music, periodicals, rare objects, and artist editions.
This collection was established through the generous contributions of practitioners, publishers, art institutions, and academies worldwide. It is maintained through the continuing support and interest of the art community in Pristina, along with infrastructure provided by the National Library of Kosovo.
1/2
The Contemporary Library, 2005-, National Library of Kosovo, Pristina