NYPL Researcher Spotlight: Alicia Cheng

This profile is part of a series of interviews chronicling the experiences of researchers who use The New York Public Library's collections for the development of their work.

Alicia Cheng is an independent researcher, educator/critic, graphic designer, partner at MGMT. design, and author of the forthcoming book This is What Democracy Looked Like, researched at The New York Public Library.

When did you first get the idea for your research project? 

Reading Jill Lepore’s article “Rock, Paper, Scissors: How We Used to Vote” in The New Yorker piqued my interest when she mentioned that ballots used to be colorful and public. I did some initial research and actually met with her in person (this was years ago) and she encouraged me to pursue the subject.

What brought you to the Library?

First I should say that while there is an ocean of information available on the internet, not everything can be done online! As I started my research, many of my materials were not digitally available, which happily necessitated a visit to the Library to look at the physical artifact. I would steal a free afternoon from work, run up to the reading room, and devour books at a desperate pace within the time I had. I remember finding out about the Library’s research study rooms and met with a librarian who generously gave me a tour. It was exciting to find out that the Library would give space to researchers without needing academic credentials. 

What's your favorite spot in the Library?

Most favorite is that moment entering the Rose Main Reading Room where you look up and see the volume and architectural detail of the space.

What’s the most unexpected item you encountered in your research?

A ballot from a New York State primary that was 14 feet long. When the librarians unfurled it in room 328, it took up more than an entire table in the back. Librarians were instrumental in directing me to a key trove of materials in the NYPL collection that propelled my research to a new level. 

What’s your favorite part of the research process?

It’s hard for me to describe the feeling of being in the study rooms and anticipating the arrival of new items to my shelf. A lot of my book requests are from the 19th century so just seeing the covers and the bindings and holding them in my hand makes me feel like I am receiving a very special gift, every time. 

What research tool could you not live without? 

My favorite tool is the librarians. That human resource is like a secret weapon and a tour guide amidst the many online databases and ways to find materials. More than once I’ve praised these professionals for their talent in the dark arts of library science to find things I would have given up on.

Where is your favorite place to eat in the neighborhood?

Cafe Zaiya at Kinokuniya has a nice view of the park in the winter, Junzi Kitchen has nouveau Chinese, and the Bookmarks rooftop bar at the Library Hotel is a nice place for a drink (and so appropriate!).

What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?

Researching the stone lithography printing process, I learned that engravers needed to keep a clean beard so as not to risk any foreign particles falling on the engraving stone.

Alicia Yin Cheng is graphic designer, teacher, and founding partner of MGMT. design, a collaborative design studio based in Brooklyn. This is What Democracy Looked Like is her first book.