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Poly Archives & Special Collections

Guide to the collections in the Poly Archives at Bern Dibner Library, New York University.

Student Curators Daniela Benitez, Sabrina Moore, and Brenna Moran

Spring 2024

Sustainable Urban Environments major Daniela Benitez (Tandon, '25) curated the Spring 2024 exhibit "The Creation of MetroTech: Economic and social consequences of neighborhood displacement." Daniela's work began as a research project in the Spring 2023 course Methods for Studying the Urban Environments. She was hired as the Poly Archives Student Curator in Fall 2023 and installed her exhibit for the Spring 2023 semester. In addition to a research talk in February 2023, Daniela wrote an exhibit catalog and conducted historical MetroTech walking tours for NYU staff and students. Daniela's walking tour was also accepted as a Jane's Walk for the NYC Municipal Art Society.  She led two sold-out tours in May 2024.

Daniela Benitez, Poly Archives Student Curator, conducting a historical walking tour in Spring 2024

Daniela Benitez (Tandon '25), Poly Archives Student Curator, conducting a historical walking tour in Spring 2024

 

Fall 2024

Poly Archives Graduate Assistants and Archives & Public History Program master's students Sabrina Moore and Brenna Moran created two Fall 2024 exhibits. The first exhibit, Paul and Polly's Day in the Archives explains the archival process from donation and accessing through physical processing of materials to access for research. The process is depicted through LEGO builds with mini figures "Paul" and "Polly." The adjacent exhibit, "What Does it Take to Build an Archive?" highlights the voices of NYC archivists and reflects current themes and questions in archival practice.

An image of the left side of the What Does it Take to Build an Archive exhibit case An image of the right side of the What Does it Take to Build an Archive exhibit case

Images of the exhibit "What Does it Take to Build an Archive?" in Dibner Library, Fall 2024, curated by Sabrina Moore and Brenna Moran

Paul and Polly's Day int he Poly Archives with LEGO minifigures Paul and Polly are welcoming a new donor.  Paul and Polly minifigures stand next to a mini figure (the donor) with a stack of papers.

Images from the zine "Paul and Polly's Day in the Poly Archives" by Brenna Moran and Sabrina Moore.