Would you like to join in the fun and display your LEGOⓇ at a BrisBricks show?
Don’t know where to start? Well, you’ve found the right place.
Lots of people have felt daunted at the idea of putting on a display – you’re not alone!
This is why Library Displays are a perfect introduction for new exhibitors.
You don’t have to start big – take it one step at a time and you’ll find your happy place.
The Benefits of Starting Small
At LEGO shows which are set up on tables, people are sometimes moving quickly. Large crowds means you can’t stay and look at a display for very long.
There’s also the chance that inquisitive fingers (believe it or not, it’s usually the adults) might reach out and touch your display. Even with bollards and signs that say “do not touch” – this is one of the reasons the creator of the display usually sits with their work.
There’s also the pressure to ‘go big’ and dazzle with a large display full of movement and lights.
The exact opposite is what happens in a library.
Because your display is locked away, you can’t have any mechanisms or lights. So that’s one problem sorted.
The next bit of good news is that library display cabinets aren’t very big. They couldn’t house a large display even if you wanted them to.
Which takes the pressure off! You can enjoy your build, knowing it will be locked behind glass for the month of display, while getting your opportunity to share your love of LEGO with the public.
When someone looks at your display in a library they have the opportunity to take their time. To look at the tiny details.
They also are looking at it behind locked glass. Because these displays are set up to last weeks or months, they don’t require someone in attendance, and are securely locked up in cabinets.
So when you display in a library, you can be comfortable in the knowledge that people of any age will enjoy your work, while it’s safe and secure (and insured) during the event.
Idea 1: Start Small
Diving straight into expo displays can seem daunting, but a library display allows you to focus on the little things.
Plus, it’s ‘set and forget’. You set it up on the first day of the month, lock it into the glass cabinet, then pick it up at the end of the month.
Small doesn’t have to mean simple though – especially not in Dennis’ COVID Virus MOC. Can you figure out how he made such an amazing sphere?
Idea 2: Tell a Story
Displays low to the ground are adored by young children. Here’s your opportunity to have lots of eye-catching detail.
The display these two are examining is a scene combining Vidiyo sets with Friends and Simpsons minifigs to create a ‘party in the park’. Some visitors may own these sets, but not thought about putting together into a scene such as this.
This is also a great way to learn how to edit. If there’s too much to see, it can become a blur.
Idea 3: Just a Taste
Library displays are also the perfect way to see how larger displays are going.
Take JM Wisebey’s Mary Poppins MOC for example. This is one of the sections of a much larger display she is working on.
Putting it on display allows her to see how it looks when placed in different layouts, ready for when it will be joined by other scenes in the expanded exhibit.
A Set, a MOD or a MOC?
Wait up … a what or what?
LEGO release bricks so you can be creative without having a fixed goal in mind, or in sets which have instructions to built a fully designed model.
A MOD is a modification of an existing set. Technically, this display is a MOD as the instructions on how to build the frame were done by someone else (LEGO official design).
Stephen took the set #43221 “100 Years of Disney Animation Icons” and modified it by swapping out the Mickey Mouse silhouettes on the top left and bottom right for a Death Star and a Millennium Falcon, then creating his own art blocks of Star Wars characters.
Although some might argue this is actually a MOC, as it hardly resembles the main components of the original design.
OK, So What’s a MOC?
If a Set is something LEGO officially releases, and a MOD is a modification of someone else’s design, then a MOC is something truly unique. It stands for My Own Creation.
Salivate over Tenielle’s delicious selection of foods made of LEGO. You won’t find these designs in an official set.
MOCs allow you to let your imagination soar, where you can create something no-one has ever seen before. Or maybe recreate things from real life.
Library Locations
Starting at Logan City Council’s Hyperdome Library, there are now BrisBricks displays popping up in other libraries of South East Queensland.
We’ve been hosted at Brisbane City Council’s Wynnum, Garden City and Carindale Libraries, and are talking with more to join our program. If your local library would like us to put in a display, let us know!
Get Started!
Think about what you’d like to display. Remember, not everyone wants to be a master builder. Many of us like to follow the instructions. But we can still share our creativity to inspire others.
Do you have an idea for a scene using sets? Like Jackie’s fun adventure in the jungle (combining various pieces from CITY > Jungle sets)!
Or have you changed the colours of an existing set, or made other modifications?
Or have you got something truly unique, like Russell’s fantastic recreation of The LEGO Movie’s Cloud Cuckoo Land scene? (Russell was a founding member of BrisBricks, the instigator of library displays, and an inspiration to us all.)
Here’s what some cabinets we display in look like. Can you imagine your display in one of these spots?
Just a couple more FAQs type things …
So All I Have To Do Is Tell You What I’m Bringing?
While we would love to provide space for everyone to display, unfortunately it may not be possible to accept everybody that applies to exhibit.
Library cabinets range from small, three level cubes that can fit one baseplate sized item, to larger cabinets (like at the Logan Hyperdome Library) that can take very wide displays. But if you don’t ask, you’ll never know!
Oh, OK. How Much Will I Be Paid?
As a non-profit group whose goal is to raise money for charity, BrisBricks isn’t in the position to pay people to display. It’s done for the joy of encouraging others to be creative.
That said, as with other BrisBrick displays, participants are presented with a 1×8 ‘Library Exhibition’ brick as a memento of their involvement.
Why is there a Monkey In The Middle of My Display?
One thing kids love are ‘can you find’ games. We will often place items throughout the displays like animals or special bricks. Once the display period are over, we collect them so they’re ready for the next library.
Where Can I Put My Sign / QR Code?
Our club has a strict non-promotion of Members businesses, and signage for individual displays at Library Exhibits are co-ordinated by the Club. This means a placard of some variety may be placed with your display noting your name, the display name, and could also include other information like number of bricks or build time.
We’re endeavouring to have a webpage for each event to list the names of those who exhibit and include a link to their LEGO Instagram or Flickr accounts if they’d like it (see recent events for an example below).
Let’s Do It!
If this sounds like something you’d like to get involved in, we’d love to welcome you aboard! Contact us to find out how you can start displaying. Or request to join our private Facebook group.
Current & Previous Library Displays
Carindale Library Display 2026
February is our fourth year at Carindale Library, and we’ve got some never-before-seen MOCs … and more!
Keep reading
BrisBricks Library Display Group
Welcome to the BrisBricks Library Group! Here you’ll find info about upcoming display opportunities; including bump-in and bump-out dates, shelf sizes, and other important details. Questions? Ask here & we’ll make an FAQ. Jump straight to upcoming displays. Or Submit your display! Themes Unless stated, there are no themes, just let your imagination run wild.…
Keep reading
Carindale Library Display 2024
It’s our second year at Carindale, and the displays are fantastic! A number of members are taking their first step into displaying, and they have delivered magic! Mary Poppins, for example. Literally magic. That’s the first MOC of many – check out The Gruffalo, micro-builds of cities and sports arenas, the Corona Virus in macro…
Keep reading