University Libraries
Making Memes: A Gallery of Visual Literacy
By Jillian Ewalt and Bridget Garnai
During the month of September, over 500 UD students participated in an online learning opportunity offered by University Libraries. Inspired by UNC Greensboro University Libraries’ Uplifting Memes workshops, librarians Jillian Ewalt and Bridget Garnai created an asynchronous online tutorial that introduced participants to the concepts of visual literacy, internet memes as communication tools, and the legal reuse of images found online. After learning about these concepts through readings and short videos, participants created their own original memes using images either in the public domain or carrying Creative Commons licensing.
Images found in the public domain are not protected by intellectual property laws and are owned by the public, not an individual. Many museums and cultural institutions share public-domain images from their collections online and encourage people to use and remix these images. Anyone can use a public domain image without obtaining permission, but no one can ever own it.
Creative Commons licenses can be applied by the owner or creator of an image to designate how it can be used by others. Each Creative Commons license requires attribution to the creator when the image is used. For more information about finding and using images found online, visit the libraries’ research guide on this topic.
Students demonstrated their understanding of these topics along with their creativity and positivity even in the challenging circumstances of this semester by making their own memes. The submissions juxtaposed public domain and Creative Commons images with UD experiences, the challenges of remote learning and everyday life during the COVID-19 pandemic, and even some pop culture references. Although participation in this workshop is no longer eligible for points toward housing preferences, people can still participate at https://udayton.libwizard.com/f/memes.
See some of our favorite examples in the gallery below.
— Jillian Ewalt is a librarian for visual resources in the Marian Library. Bridget Garnai is a lecturer in the University Libraries.
Meme: Tyler Delahanty
"Thumbs Up" by US Embassy Canada, CC PDM 1.0.
Meme: Tyler Delahanty
"Thumbs Up" by US Embassy Canada, CC PDM 1.0.
Meme: Taylor Renzi
"Cat" by strogoscope, licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Meme: Taylor Renzi
"Cat" by strogoscope, licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Meme: Sarah Gellner
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Sarah Gellner
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Noelle Boltz
"A Cute Dog" by Chen Vision, licensed under CC-BY-NC 2.0.
Meme: Noelle Boltz
"A Cute Dog" by Chen Vision, licensed under CC-BY-NC 2.0.
Meme: Katie Cantlin
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gilman Collection, Purchase, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Gift, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 2005.
Meme: Katie Cantlin
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gilman Collection, Purchase, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Gift, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 2005.
Meme: Katelyn Wirkner
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Katelyn Wirkner
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Julia Bunch
"Terracotta Mask in the Shape of the Head of a Fox, Dog, or Bat" by Cypriot, licensed under the public domain.
Meme: Julia Bunch
"Terracotta Mask in the Shape of the Head of a Fox, Dog, or Bat" by Cypriot, licensed under the public domain.
Meme: Jillian Valente
“Waiting for That Call" by Alan Cleaver is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Meme: Jillian Valente
“Waiting for That Call" by Alan Cleaver is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Meme: Jared Dunn
“Fits No. 1” by various artists. National Gallery of Art: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.165687.html, Gift of William and Abigail Gerdts.
Meme: Jared Dunn
“Fits No. 1” by various artists. National Gallery of Art: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.165687.html, Gift of William and Abigail Gerdts.
Meme: Jacob DeLuca
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Jacob DeLuca
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Grace King
“Quincy ‘Working from Home’” by Lori Lundy, CC-BY-NC.
Meme: Grace King
“Quincy ‘Working from Home’” by Lori Lundy, CC-BY-NC.
Meme: Emily Sreenan
"Ink Drawing of a Cat and Three Mice" by Charles Green Shaw, Archives of American Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Emily Sreenan
"Ink Drawing of a Cat and Three Mice" by Charles Green Shaw, Archives of American Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Emily Newcomer
"Reese's New Face (Side-Eye)" by donnierayjones, licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Meme: Emily Newcomer
"Reese's New Face (Side-Eye)" by donnierayjones, licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Meme: Elizabeth Gallagher
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Elizabeth Gallagher
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Connor DuShane
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Connor DuShane
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain.
Meme: Carolyn Bakx
"Gorilla Animal" by @Doug88888, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Meme: Carolyn Bakx
"Gorilla Animal" by @Doug88888, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Meme: Brendan Flynn
"Miss Chapman" by Alice H. Cox and Mary H. Evans, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Meme: Brendan Flynn
"Miss Chapman" by Alice H. Cox and Mary H. Evans, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Meme: Audrey Scanlon
"Bed Head" by spatulated, licensed under CC BY 2.0; "Senior Picture" by Ezalis, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Meme: Audrey Scanlon
"Bed Head" by spatulated, licensed under CC BY 2.0; "Senior Picture" by Ezalis, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Meme: Abigail Conway
“Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus” by Wallerant Vaillant, after Hans Holbein (II). Rijksmuseum, Public Domain.
Meme: Abigail Conway
“Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus” by Wallerant Vaillant, after Hans Holbein (II). Rijksmuseum, Public Domain.
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