The Hybrid Museum: Libraries as Collaborative Knowledge Makers
19th International Conference on the Inclusive Museum, Chau Chak Wing Museum; 24 September 2026
Abstract: UNSW Library’s Exhibitions Program bridges academic research and cultural collections to translate complex scholarly work into engaging exhibitions. This model, which we frame as a hybrid museum, defines a new mode of knowledge production by transforming the Library into an active cultural producer. Research is not confined to text-based outputs, instead, through exhibitions, it becomes visible, material, and shared.
We will present three case studies demonstrating how these projects establish a dynamic space for knowledge creation and discovery:
Materials Revolution (2025): A collaboration with the SMaRT Centre that drew together material science technologies with rare industrial texts. By integrating SMaRT Centre research directly into the exhibition infrastructure, the Library moved beyond simply discussing the circular economy to physically embodying it through a sustainable, eco-friendly design.
Living Water (2024): an interdisciplinary project synthesising insights from five different faculties. The Library served as a neutral environment where environmental challenges could be examined collaboratively, rather than within isolated academic frameworks.
Care is a Relationship (2023): Through partnership with the Black Dog Institute, the Library extended its work into the field of social practice. Clinical mental health data was translated into accessible public displays and workshops, demonstrating how research can be communicated in ways that resonate with diverse audiences.
These case studies demonstrate a powerful hybrid-museum model that leverages the Library’s centralised, neutral space to merge academic faculties (Science, Engineering, Law, Arts) with cultural collections. It is also an opportunity for students to encounter leading research and ideas outside their nominated disciplines. This turns abstract research into a shared, tangible experience, where knowledge is collaboratively co-authored by experts and made accessible to everyone.
This presentation will offer a framework for other GLAMR institutions seeking to use hybrid spaces to facilitate dialogue and meaningful cross-institutional knowledge transfer. Through exhibitions, UNSW Library becomes an open, accessible site where diverse stakeholders are actively represented as knowledge holders and makers.