LIBRARY OF THE CIRCUS CONSERVATORY OF

AMERICA

Rainie Themer

ABOUT ME

Education• Master of Library and Information Science

May 2015 Certificate in Special Collections and Rare Books University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana

• Bachelor of Arts, English Dec. 2010

Illinois State University

Milner Library• Student Intern, Special

Collections (2009-2010)

• Periodicals Assistant (2011-2014)

• Standing Orders Clerk (2014-Present)

Circus Now• Online Director (2013-

Present)

EXPERIENCE

OTHER EXPERIENCE

American Youth Circus Organization• Online Research and Journalism Intern (2012-2013) • Wrote feature article for Vol. 2, Issue 3 of Pyramid: The Journal of the

American Youth Circus (Fall 2012)

Research Assistant (2011-2013)• “The Strobridge Lithographing Company, the Ringling Brothers, and

Their Circuses” by Fred D. Pfening, III in The Amazing Circus Poster (2011)

• The Ordinary Acrobat: A Journey into the Wondrous World of the Circus, Past and Present by Duncan Wall (2013)

• The Bloomington-Normal Circus Legacy: The Golden Age of Aerialists by Maureen Brunsdale and Mark Schmitt (2013)

Bandwagon• Freelance Editor, edited ‘The Life and Times of William P. Hall” (2011)

TRADITIONAL VS. CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS

Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey:

Barnum Funundrum

Photo: RBBB FB

The Ricochet Project: Smoke and Mirrors

Photo: Nancy Behall

What most people think of when you

say “circus”• Ringling Brothers and Barnum &

Bailey• Within a ring• Animal and human performances• Spectacle

Multiple acts performed within a ring

Travelling

Family run/taught

In the US this form of circus is

considered entertainment

TRADITIONAL CIRCUS

Kelly Miller CircusPhoto: Kelly Miller Circus FB

Multidisciplinary• Combines traditional circus arts

with dance, theater, music, visual arts, digital arts

Incorporates a narrative that is

conveyed throughout performance

Can happen anywhere

Taught in schools and

conservatories around the world

Is starting to be recognized as art

CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS

Ilmatila’s MuuallaPhoto: Chris Nash

THE LIBRARY OF THE CIRCUS CONSERVATORY OF

AMERICA

Working Mission Statement: “The Library of the Circus

Conservatory of America’s foremost objective is to acquire,

preserve, organize, and make available information on the

circus arts throughout time and to develop an academic

collection that will both support and contribute to the

educational mission of the Circus Conservatory of America. The

Library of the Circus Conservatory of America also strives to aid

and respond to the research needs of the greater circus arts

community as a whole.”

Books

Periodicals

Digital Resources

Audio Visual Materials

Posters, Handbills,

Programs

Soundtracks

Circus Arts

Dance

Theater

Visual Arts

Music

Literature

COLLECTION

Possible Formats Possible Subjects

Environment of

learning

Space for students to

stimulate their minds

instead of bodies

Collaborative space

Place of inspiration

LIBRARY SPACE

Ecole Nationale de Cirque Library

Photo: Rainie Themer

LIBRARY AS A WHOLE

Through its resources, both historical and current,

and by providing an environment of learning,

inspiration, and collaboration, the library strives to

help aid students in enhancing their artistic and

professional development as well as the development

of their general education.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

How can we build a partnership and a regional

performing arts collection that benefits all of our

patrons?

What strengths exist in each library’s current

collections?

What are the needs of each library? Where are

there gaps in the collection?