Arizona State University’s Eugene D. Valentine Collection is a whimsical and cheery repository of approximately 800 pop-up books, but that doesn’t mean it should be taken lightly.
Illustrator Martin Baynton brought his pop-up version of “Hansel and Gretel,” a well-known fairy tale of German origin, to the market in 1982. Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU
Each book is considered an intricate work of art, with its designers spending untold hours bringing their paper-engineered constructions to life.
These movable book formats also have the potential to teach people something new — from Disney alphabet books to books on menopause, cigars and “Star Trek.” The secret to their allure is their ability to engage people of all ages from young children to adults.
These are books you have to read with your hands because they’re so inherently captivating,” said Suzy Morgan, who is the conservator for ASU Library. “They only work when you handle or manipulate them, and it requires you to engage. It’s one of the most interactive book formats there is because they’re both abstract and artistic. And they’re also really fun to read.”
The ASU Library received the bulk of these materials over a span of years from Valentine, a former faculty member in the Department of English and a charter member of the ASU Emeritus College, who passed in 2022. But the collection started in the late 1980s while on a road trip to Tucson, said colleague Daniel Mayer.
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Shari Laster, head of Open Collections Curation and Access at ASU Library, said while the collection may not attract visiting scholars like some of the other repositories, it is an effective tool for university and community outreach.
“We use them for events when we open the doors to show people our special collections,” Laster said. “The first time I came in and saw a book that I recognized, it blew my mind we had this type of book in our collection. You never know what kind of formats may spark a lifelong passion for special collections and archives. Pop-up books are perfect for that.”
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
