All books in this collection are cataloged, and should be requested individually in CLIO. This record is for informational purposes only.
Collection of artists' books created by artists participating in the Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition; donated by the founder of the coalition Beau Beausoleil between December 2019 and March 2020. Each participating book artist was asked to complete three books over the course of a year that reflected both the strength and fragility of books, but also showed the endurance of the ideas within them.
See also individual catalog records for titles in the collection. This collection uses a special classification system with call numbers consisting of the numbers 1-280, which were previously assigned as order numbers and reflect alphabetical arrangement by artist's last name; sublocation code ALMUTANABBI precedes the call number
Collection title devised by curator. Alternate titles for collection are Al-Mutanabbi Street Artists' Books Collection and Al-Mutanabbi Artists' Books Collection.
Collection arranged and classed alphabetically by last name of book artist.
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
All books in this collection are cataloged, and should be requested individually in CLIO. This record is for informational purposes only.
The Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here collection is a separate archival collection at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library that contains prints, broadsides, and photographs. https://clio.columbia.edu/archives/14363895
Source of acquisition--Beau Beausoleil. Method of acquisition--Gift. Date of acquisition--2019-2020.
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
In 2007, Beau Beausoleil, poet and bookseller, founded the Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition as a response to the bombing of Al-Mutanabbi Street, the center of bookselling in Baghdad, Iraq. Coalition members include poets, writers, and artists from many countries, and projects have included broadsides, artists' books, prints, bookmarks, music, photography, and more. The mission of the coalition focuses on the lasting power of the written word and the arts in support of the free expression of ideas and the preservation of shared cultural spaces.