We invite you to view the exhibit Disasters: The Stories We Share, located near the Lehman Social Sciences Library entrance. Explore how we discuss, learn from, and address the lasting impacts of disasters on communities.
Disasters can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Documenting disasters may influence change, emphasize varied narratives, demonstrate social inequities, and/or be part of a community’s resilient response. And when we think about the word “disasters,” what often comes to mind are the “natural”: floods, hurricanes, earthquakes. And yet, a “disaster” is simply where hazards meet humans and has layered meanings. Additionally, this exhibit examines whether prisons or correctional facilities can be considered “disasters” in their own right. When institutions of imprisonment are framed as the byproducts of bad policymaking, they can be understood as human-made disasters that harm marginalized and oppressed people.
The Rikers Island prison complex was chosen for the Columbia University Libraries portion of the traveling exhibit to further interrogate the role of human-made disasters within the New York metropolitan area; it was curated by Social Sciences & Policy Librarian Ben Chiewphasa, Social Work & Professional Studies Librarian Kae Bara Kratcha, and Journalism & Government Information Librarian Emily Schmidt.
More information, including a story map of exhibit content, is available online. Visit our evolving web page that lists resources and insights related to Rikers Island and prisons at large.
