I am writing to share a CFP for an edited volume I am putting together with Robert Spinelli, an archivist at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (Nashville, TN). The volume, Shelf Life: Libraries, Archives, and Collective Grief, is provisionally intended for publication in the Death and Culture series with University of Bristol Press, who has invited us to submit a formal proposal once contributors have been selected.

The volume would examine grief and memorialization through the lens of librarianship, addressing, among other subjects, the archiving of temporary memorials, critical metadata and representation in the archive, and the potentially therapeutic function of libraries as memory spaces. Ultimately, the goal of the collection would be to bring attention to the ways in which librarians and information professionals contribute to the field of death studies via a series of case studies, theoretical discussions, and methodological recommendations (including those at the intersection of critical librarianship, the social sciences, and digital humanities).

A more detailed call for contributors is attached, and I invite any of you who are working on related topics to submit a proposal. I'd also be grateful if you could share with any colleagues who may be interested in this topic.

Proposals of 200–500 words and a short CV are due by July 6 to me ([log in to unmask]) and Robert Spinelli ([log in to unmask]). Accepted chapters should be approximately 5,000–7,000 words and first drafts will be due December 31, 2024.