Bibliomancy is a practice that promotes community engagement through activating archive-oriented spaces in non-traditional ways. Investigating the library as a site for divination, Julia Arredondo’s explorations of the archive are meant to be transient through the exploration of various collections around the country. As a firm believer that “the book chooses you”, Julia allows chance and curiosity to inform the experience of bibliomancy sessions at each location.

During First Friday on August 4th between 5-7pm, Julia will be conducting in-person bibliomancy sessions open to the public. Participants are invited to sit with Julia in the gallery, and discuss passages that are chosen randomly by the inquirer from a collection of Portland Public Library books. Bibliomancy sessions take around 10-15 minutes to complete. The books used during Julia’s live bibliomancy sessions will remain on-site in the gallery should visitors choose to conduct bibliomancy for themselves.