Birth by the Book is one of three exhibits that is part of a university-community collaboration between the Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections, the former Bloomington Area Birth Services, and Tandem, with the sponsorship of The Mellon Foundation.

In contrast to traditional pregnancy manuals, artists’ books can offer a more complex representation of the reproductive experience, including aspects that are often overlooked or suppressed in mainstream representations, such as the messiness and unpredictability of childbirth. The works in this collection touch on topics from pregnancy and delivery to birth control, loss, infertility, and the choice to not have children.