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Unseen Labor

Unseen Labor is an international library community-organizing embroidery project and exhibit originally conceived of and created by Ann Kardos, Metadata Librarian at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. To learn more about this exhibit, visit the Unseen Labor Catalog

Copyright Statement

Most of the content displayed here is under copyright protection. Any use beyond fair use under U.S. copyright law requires permission from the original creator. When in doubt, please inquire.

Suggested Citation: Name of creator/author/stitcher, "Unseen Labor and Words Matter! The Inclusive Cataloging Movement Takes Flight," https://library.fresnostate.edu/find/special-collections. Accessed [date].

"It’s Complicated!" Cross stitch Designed and stitched by Natasha Hollenbach, Indianapolis Public Library, Indianapolis, Indiana
"Cataloger’s Judgment: The Hidden Human Process" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Margaret Joyce, University of Hawai’i, Honolulu, Hawai’i
"Librarians vs. Robots" Cross stitch Stitched by Alison Messier, University of Massachusetts Amherst / Designed by Ann Kardos: robots adapted from DMC, font chart by Hayley Pierson-Cox
"A Pattern of Anonymity" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Alexa Torchynowycz, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina
"Busy Bees" Cross stitch with buttons Stitched by Amanda Mack, UCLA Film & Television Archive, Los Angeles, California / Plant patterns designed by Susan Bates
"MARC to Linked Data" Canvaswork with cottons, silks and metallic ribbons Designed and stitched by Heather Pretty, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
"Shine Your Light" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Amy B. Rachuba, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota and Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota
"InvISible" Cross stitch Designed and stitched by Laura Taylor, University of New England, Portland, Maine
"Self-Portrait #2" Adapted and embroidered by Ann Kardos, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts / Original portrait in ink by Lee Morrissette
"(Librarians) NOT (Google)" Cross stitch and embroidery Stitched by Tricia Jauquet, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Indiana / Designed by Pretty Witty
"What’s in Your Catalog?" Cross stitch Stitched by Ruth Elder, Troy University, Troy, Alabama / Collaboratively designed by Ann Kardos & Ruth Elder
"Cat-a-log" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Stacy Gordon, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska
"Bad Character" Cross stitch Stitched by Nicola C., Wellcome Collection, London, UK / Pattern and font chart designed by Kate J. Blandford, Bristol, UK
"A Few Inches of Something" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Lindsey Ryer, South Portland Public Library, South Portland, Maine / Ossuary design is adapted from a pattern from the crypt in Igreja de São Francisco in Évora, Portugal
"This is the Library Now" Cross stitch Designed and stitched by Gretchen Neidhardt, Chicago, Illinois / Story and experience from Tina Gross, Moorehead, Minnesota
"Code" Cross stitch Designed and stitched by Elliot Williams, Texas Digital Library, Austin, Texas
"Do Not Agonize!" Cross stitch Stitched by Julie Renee Moore, California State University Fresno / Designed by Purple Panzy XS, lettering by Ann Kardos & Julie Renee Moore
"Enveloping" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Michelle Paquette, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
"Homonyms and Spiders" Cross stitch Designed and stitched by Ruth Kitchin Tillman, Pennsylvania State University / Tweet by Marc in a Cold Climate @marccold (anonymous)
"This is More Work Than I Expected!" Cross stitch Designed and stitched by Sarah Tackett, Jeffersonville Township Public Library, Jeffersonville, Indiana
"From Chaos to Order" Embroidery and beadwork Designed and stitched by Lynn E. Gates, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado
"There’s Always More Coming Down the Track" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Ann Kardos, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
"Metadata is the Connexion Between People and Stuff" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Tina Marie Maes, Madison Public Library, Madison, Wisconsin
"Less is Not More" Cross stitch diptych Stitched by Ruth Elder, Troy University, Troy, Alabama / Collaboratively designed by Ann Kardos & Ruth Elder
"U.M.M…‡?" Cross stitch Stitched and lettered by Tricia Jauquet, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Indiana / Cauldron pattern designed by Charlotte Alexander
"See What I Did There" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Rachel Ivy Clarke, Syracuse University School of Information Studies, Syracuse, New York
"A Cataloger’s Lament" Cross stitch Designed and stitched by Emylie Fossell, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
"I Werk $2 homoit Up!" Embroidery and beadwork Designed and stitched by Bobby Bothmann, Minnesota State University, Mankato
"Collocated Foliage" Blackwork Designed and stitched by Dai Newman, Ohio State University at Newark/Central Ohio Technical College, Newark, Ohio
"Drowning at Sea" Embroidery with cotton floss on cotton shirting and quilting cotton Designed and stitched by Elena Colón-Marrero, Bentley Historical Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan
"Mysteries of Discoverability" Embroidery Stitched and lettered by Erin Jerome, University of Massachusetts Amherst / Mystic Sky (PAT0724S) pattern available from DMC
"X Marks the Spot" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Emily Nimsakont, Amigos Library Services
"A Rockstar Cataloger" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Michele T. Fenton, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, Indiana
"Homosaurus" Cross stitch Designed and stitched by Miranda Nero, Ocean State Libraries, Warwick, Rhode Island
"This is My Job" Embroidery Stitched and lettered by Ann Kardos, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts / Juggling Ostrich (PAT1307S) pattern available from DMC
"Same Old Message, Different Day" Cross Stitch Designed and stitched by Ann Kardos, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
"651 $a Minnesota" Embroidery Designed and stitched by Bobby Bothmann, Minnesota State University, Mankato / Images adapted from SuperColoring.com
"Ritual for Visibility" Watercolor, graphite and cotton thread on canvas Designed, painted and stitched by Misty Alvaro, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, Ohio / Tweet by Fobazi Ettarh @fobattarh
"2021 Highs" Cross stitch Stitched by Jeanette Kalchik, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California / Adapted from pattern by KristisCornerNeedle
"MARC is Not Dead" Cross stitch Stitched by Beth Morgan, Centre College, Danville, Kentucky / Designed by The Witchy Stitcher

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