Neighbourhood: build your place in our Library community
Starting at university is exciting, but it can also feel big, new, and a little overwhelming. That’s why the Library is a place designed not just for study, but for connection, creativity and community. Our newest exhibition, Neighbourhood: What does the Library mean to you, brings this to life.
A neighbourhood is a community of intersecting stories and lives, and this exhibition celebrates exactly that. Featuring student artworks submitted to the annual Library Artwork Competition, Neighbourhood showcases the many unique perspectives on what the Deakin Library means to the people who use it every day – new students, returning students, and everyone in between. It highlights the Library as more than just a study space, but the beating heart of Deakin’s student experience.
This exhibition builds on the Library’s 2024 exhibition Neighbourhood: Deakin Visual Art Society, originally presented at Deakin’s Burwood Campus.
Get creative: build a house out of paper
One of the highlights of the exhibition is a hands‑on activity where visitors decorate and construct their own paper house using templates designed by Deakin students. These houses are then added to a growing collaborative installation of a paper neighbourhood that reflects the vibrancy and individuality of the Deakin community.
Take some time to get creative by constructing your own foldable house and become an active part of the growing neighbourhood!
It’s simple, relaxing, and a perfect creative break between classes. No artistic experience needed. Just take a few minutes to unwind and create something new!
Student artwork showcasing creativity and connection
The exhibition also features a selection of student artworks submitted to the annual Library Artwork Competition since 2023, each created in response to the prompt “What does the Library mean to you?”
These works reveal the wide range of perspectives and experiences that shape student life at Deakin, expressing themes of community, creativity, belonging, and connection. From playful interpretations of Library spaces to thoughtful reflections on study, identity and wellbeing, the artworks demonstrate how the Library is not just a physical place, but a meaningful touchpoint in students’ academic and personal journeys. Together, they form a powerful visual expression of what a neighbourhood can be: a diverse community made richer by the individual stories within it.
Join the neighbourhood
Neighbourhood is open until April at the Waurn Ponds Gallery Space, from 8am–9pm daily. Drop in, explore the artwork, contribute your own crafted neighbourhood house and help shape a community installation that grows throughout Trimester 1. Whether you’re brand‑new to Deakin or returning for another exciting year, there’s a place for you.
About the Deakin Library Exhibitions Program
Explore the ideas that shape our University through the Deakin Library Exhibitions Program. Our exhibitions showcase unique collections and scholarly outputs, creating new connections and inspiring Deakin’s communities. The Library presents exhibitions in our Waterfront Gallery, Burwood Library Exhibition Space and Waurn Ponds Library Exhibition Space.