A newly curated exhibit in Walsh Library commemorates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Hip-hop, a form of artistic expression that originated in the Bronx, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Aug. 11.
Reference and digital humanities librarian Tierney Gleason curated the Walsh Library hip-hop exhibit as a tribute to this milestone. “I knew that the 50th anniversary was coming up, and other cultural heritage institutions in New York City would be celebrating it, so why should Fordham be any different?” said Gleason.
Located in the reference room on the first floor of Walsh Library, the exhibit showcases a diverse collection of books and digital resources that explore art, music and poetry from various cultures worldwide. The exhibition aims to serve as a platform to celebrate the history and ignite students’ curiosity about the Bronx, its historical significance and the seemingly limitless resources the library offers.
Gleason was responsible for selecting the “50 Years of Hip Hop” exhibition content, but she said that the library’s work is collaborative. Other librarians provide input, organize materials and manage electronic resources to ensure accessibility and functionality.
The exhibit commences with general encyclopedias on hip-hop and the birthplace of hip-hop at the “Back to School Jam,” which occurred on Aug. 11, 1973, at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx. The exhibit then explores the four pillars of hip-hop: DJing, MCing, graffiti and breakdancing. The exhibit delves into Caribbean influence, followed by various aspects of hip-hop apparent in fashion, skateboarding and magazines.
“When focusing on the Bronx, we aimed to ensure that we included elements that capture the cultural essence of hip-hop, as well as aspects that reflect Fordham’s culture,” said Gleason.
The exhibit continues by showcasing material studying the role of women, the LGBTQ+ community and religion in hip-hop. In each display, visitors can find traditional books or encyclopedias and QR codes linked to digital materials in the library database, such as movies, music videos, soundtracks and articles.
Fordham students have the opportunity to explore the Bronx, gain knowledge about it and become advocates for it during their studies. This exhibition has the opportunity to serve as a starting point for students to develop an interest in the Bronx and discover the wide range of resources available at the library.
Despite hip-hop not being the first thing that comes to mind when considering university libraries for many people, Walsh Library displays a vast collection of books and digital resources. The librarians at Walsh Library said they are eager to showcase the resources and assistance they can provide to students that many are unaware of. The librarians also said that students often come to the library without fully realizing the extent of what is accessible to them. Jeannie Hoag, reference and assessment librarian, said that she didn’t know that some of the things on display were in their collection. According to Hoag, reference books, in particular, tend not to circulate, so the hidden gems are endless.
Gleason said she first became interested in hip-hop culture when, in October 2017, she visited a class to teach students how to use the library.
In the course, one student mentioned he was considering writing his master’s thesis about an aspect of hip-hop culture, and then Gleason said she was inspired. She thought, “This is Fordham, and we are in the Bronx. Why don’t we have more visible library resources about this? I know we have them.”
She then created a page on hip-hop history resources, available on the library website under research guides.
Seven years later, these resources are coming to the forefront again, showing the importance of all kinds of studies in the library and attempting to drive students to become curious about both the Bronx and the library’s content.
Instead of relying solely on Google for information and Amazon for books, the librarians said they encourage students to come to the library because they likely have what they need and much more.
Gleason said that the way students think about the library needs to change. She said the librarians are there to help and provide resources on all types of studies, from fashion and skateboarding to medieval studies.
The “50 Years of Hip Hop” exhibit will be up until mid-October. To suggest a topic for the next exhibition, follow the QR code posted at the end of the exhibit.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly attributed information from Jeannie Hoag to another member of the Walsh Library Team, Jane Suda. The Ram sincerely apologizes for this mistake and appreciates the affected parties bringing this to our attention.
