Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach

by Beverly Serrell

Beverly Serrell presents the reader with excellent guidelines on the process of exhibit label planning, writing, design, and production. One of the museum field’s leading consultants and label writers, Serrell’s 1996 edition of Exhibit Labels has been a standard in the field since its initial publication. This new edition not only provides expert guidance on the art of label writing for diverse audiences and explores the theoretical and interpretive considerations of placing labels within an exhibition, it also features all new case studies and photographs and thoughts about interpretation in digital media. Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach is a vital reference tool for all museum professionals.

Genres: Museology, Museums, Nonfiction, Art, Reference, History, Anthropology

376 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 1996

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know what you're thinking - of course I'd love to read a book about exhibit labels, but which book to read? This is your book, my friend, this is your book. This is actually very pleasant to read, which is kinda surprising considering that it looked like the most boring of all the museum books I had to read this semester. This is filled with good, solid information; many tips, what to do vs. what not to do, examples of well-written labels next to flawed ones. I have been able to directly apply this book several times already to a museum project I'm working on. I will definitely be keeping this on my shelf to use in the future.

[Courtney Homer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for exactly what it is - how to write effective exhibit labels. More engaging than expected, and a highly useful resource for exhibition planning and labeling.

[Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: In her new work, Beverly Serrell presents the reader with excellent guidelines on the process of exhibit label planning, writing, design, and production. One of the museum field's leading consultants and label writers, Serrell has expanded upon her earlier book, Making Exhibit Labels, which has been a standard in the field since its initial publication over a decade ago. Exhibit Labels provides ample information on the art of label writing for diverse audiences, and explores the theoretical and interpretive considerations of placing labels within an exhibition. An examination of the impact of technological advances on the label-making process is also included. Read it and you will agree, Exhibit Labels is a vital reference tool for all museum professionals.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive, well researched and very clear. Serrell provides many examples, good and bad ones, to illustrate her points. She has also collected case studies from different museums and label writers working with the concepts she presents. A highly readable how-to.
It is nteresting even if you (like me) are not actively working with label writing, since it makes you think more critically about the labelling in museums you might be familiar with, and gives you a better understanding of the function and value of thorough and well-done labeling.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, fantastic guidelines for exhibit labels that point to larger contextualization within how museums and exhibit spaces ought to function.

(-.5 stars because ironically some of the images needed more context or better captioning.)

[Mayu Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for work - a tad derivative but easy. Best parts are that chapter 11 is on pg. 111 and that “kiss” is defined in the glossary as: 2) A printers term for touching the paper lightly to the printing press; 3) an abbreviation for the advice, Keep It Simple, Stupid.

[Victoria Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really informative. While the topic at hand is drafting exhibition labels, I found Serrell's writing to be informative of the field in general. She really exposes some of the tension between curation and education in the museum world.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Step-by-step instructions on creating exhibit labels that museum visitors will actually read. There is a lot more to it than one might imagine.

[Leah Kotok · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, especially for a museum novice. Beverly Serrell's writing is clear and interesting.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will really see museum labels for the first time after reading this museum masterpiece. Writing labels will take on new meaning for those in the field.

[Kaiti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the second edition and it's excellent. A great manual on what (not) to do when writing and designing exhibit labels. Also very well written and engaging!

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical, but very well written manual for writing exhibition labels. The book helps to crystalize one's thinking about any project involving presentation of any visual information.

[māris šteinbergs · Rating 4 out of 5]

izcili labs sākums, no kura grimt tekstu rakstīšanai muzejā

[James Lingman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who knew you could say so much (and repeat it ad nauseam) about exhibit labels. Just assume your audience is an 8 year old and you'll be fine.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool for those interested.

[Gwyn Hartung · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was helpful to my work as a museum worker. I took 16 pages of notes.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only useful for museum professionals, but for anyone interested in writing and design.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review refers to the 2nd edition (2015) which is not in Goodreads yet.

This book is an essential and accessible read for anyone in the museum field. It not only presents theory, but also studies from the field to back up claims, and case-studies that are very helpful. Serrell provides great examples, and even delves into technology (one of the main reasons a 2nd edition was needed in my opinion).

A couple of minor critiques:

1. The images could have been of better quality--they seem to have been taken with a personal camera (or cell phone) and I would have liked more detail. They also correspond to the ones on Serrell's website, and more variety would have been helpful.

2. The author herself still seems to have some hesitation about integrating technology into exhibits. While some of the research supports this, I think it is more a matter of finding the correct methods and uses of technology to really engage the audience (and we probably have not have found that quite yet).

Despite these 2 minor issues, the book really is amazing, and putting into practice the front-end evaluations for our own upcoming exhibit has been incredibly illuminating and helpful already.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous introduction to interpretive writing as a whole, not just exhibit "labels." Reading it while attending the NAI Annual Workshop worked out perfectly, because Serrell nails every major point that was made at the conference and ties it all together. She provides numerous examples to show how interpretation is a distinct form of writing, particularly aimed at addressing visitor questions about what they see in an exhibit, and drawing personal connections. The only weak point is in addressing applications in technology, but that is not really the aim of the book and anything written about technology obsolesces quickly anyway. I highly recommend this to anyone doing any form of interpretive writing or exhibit planning.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lugged this manual around with me and read it in public. I was really kind of hoping that someone would notice and ask me about it, but alas, no one did. At any rate, it's eminently readable, highly practical, engagingly written... and it will remain to be seen how useful it will actually prove to me. We're writing labels for an upcoming exhibit in Philadelphia in my public history course, so the proof will be in the proverbial pudding.

[Boise City Department of Arts & History · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read for anyone that deals with writing labels and thinking about how they fit into a larger exhibit. I appreciated Serrell's perspective, and I have a new appreciation for visitors that come to museums and other exhibits. It has strengthened my resolve to continue writing labels that people want to read.

[Adina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serrell's book, although ostensibly about crafting exhibit labels, can be considered a thorough manual for crafting effective museum exhibitions. It's also a primer on front-end, formative, and summative evaluation. As one would hope, it is written provocatively, cleanly, and concisely. Put it up on your shelf next to Strunk and White!

[Vincent Houghtaling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive look at all aspects of the process of developing labels, from considering the audience, to how much text to put, to whether to have multiple languages. It'd be a worthwhile reference to have around, which is why, as the foreword says, it has a tendency to walk away from libraries.

[Chloe Glynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book before interviewing at a museum and have never been the same since. It's amazing how a few simple principles can turn an object and its description into a significant connection. Well written, easily applied, and occasionally stirring up meta-thoughts about the author's awareness of presenting information, it's an anchor in the field.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book--it gave me new appreciation for museum visitors and the importance of thoughtful labels.It helped reinforce my dedication to write labels for everyone to enjoy, not just experts.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate reading nonfiction, but this is a decent read on a very narrow topic.

[Sarah]

Technical and a bit elementary. A good reference, nonetheless. (I wish it was not so conversational!)

[M Rosyid]

label

[Robin]

curating

[Emily Rheault]

the definitive guide to writing good labels