What's New

Miniature Books Exhibition

Miniature Books: 4,000 Years of Tiny Treasures, on display in the Grand Staircase lobby and Ginkgo Reading Room in Olin Library, until June 6, 2008. It is accessible during normal Olin Library hours.

You are invited to attend a talk, part of "Our Favorite Books" Series, on Thursday, April 10, 4:15pm, in the Ginkgo Reading Room: 'The Growth of the Small' by Joseph Loewenstein. Is this remarkable collection of miniature books a set of beautiful curiosities, mere oddities, or can they be opened to afford a tiny window into a much larger past? Professor Loewenstein will situate the collection in the development of Early Modern European (and especially English) book culture.

Articles about Julian Edison and his collection of miniature books can be viewed at:

• The West End Word
• St. Louis Platform   
• Off the Shelf, a WU Libraries' publication.  Once at this site, scroll down to page 18 (page 11 of the PDF)

Exhibition: Celebrating Research

A new exhibition highlighting the Department of Special Collections is currently on display in the Grand Staircase lobby and Ginkgo Reading Room in Olin Library. Entitled Celebrating Research, the exhibit features some of the many unique and outstanding books, manuscripts, media, and artifacts that enrich research at Washington University.

Among the items on display are handwritten drafts and notes by Samuel Clemens, Walt Whitman, Tennessee Williams, and Samuel Beckett; a rare and lavishly illustrated 1896 edition of the works of Geoffrey Chaucer; streetcar plans and photographs from the St. Louis Car Company; original magazine artwork by legendary illustrator Al Parker; ancient cuneiform tablets and Egyptian papyri; and historical letters documenting the founding and early development of Washington University.

Celebrating Research coincides with the publication of a new book by the same title, to be released this October by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to commemorate its 75th anniversary. The book, and a companion website, will feature profiles on rare and unique collections at dozens of major academic libraries. The ARL’s membership includes the libraries of some 123 leading North American research institutions. For more on ARL, see their website: www.arl.org.

The exhibit will run throughout the summer.

Exhibition: Gandhi, King, Ikeda

An exhibition entitled Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace will be on display in the Olin Library, Monday, April 16-Friday, April 27, 2007. This traveling exhibition includes photographs and information focusing on Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Daisaku Ideka, three men from different cultures and continents, who devoted their lives to non-violence, human rights, and world peace.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter, Sr. will speak at 4 p.m. Monday, April 16, in Wilson Hall, Room 214. An opening reception for the exhibition will follow the talk. The reception will take place in Olin Library’s Ginkgo Reading Room, on level 1. 

Carter is the founder and first dean of the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel and Professor of Religion at Morehouse College. He has written numerous books and articles, including Walking Integrity: Benjamin Elijah Mays as Mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr. (1998) and Global Ethical Options, in the Tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Daisaku Ikeda (2001).

These events are free and open to the public. They are sponsored by the Religious Studies Program in Arts & Sciences.

Questions may be directed to Sarah Massey at 314-935-8677 or smassey@wustl.edu. Additional information is available online at http://artsci.wustl.edu/~relst/gki.htm or at http://library.wustl.edu/events/exhibits/Gandhi.html. 

Exhibition: Habitat for Humanity: A Global Phenomenon

A new exhibit in the north Olin lobby case seeks to educate the student body and the public about the problem of substandard housing and how Habitat for Humanity operates to ameliorate the problem.  Habitat works on four basic principles: building, education, advocacy, and fundraising.  It works internationally through volunteers to build simple, decent, affordable housing shelters for those with the greatest need and willingness to pay back the mortgage.  This exhibit runs until April 20th.

Exhibition: Namaste Nepal!

A new exhibition housed in the Whispers Café cubes highlights the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of Nepal.  Items in the exhibition include images of temples, costumes, and Hindu gods; actual paper and coin currency, a unique Nepalese flag, and much, much more.  Be sure to stop by and spend some time viewing this highly informative and beautiful exhibition developed by Bluena Khatri, a graduate student in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work and recent grad of St. Xavier's College, Kathmandu (the capital of Nepal).  Namaste Nepal! runs until April 27th.

Exhibition: Preserving University Libraries' Collections

This unique exhibit shines a light on the behind the scene activities of the Preservation Unit. The exhibit features examples of typical book repair and binding techniques, materials, tools, and equipment. This wonderful exhibit runs through March 16, 2007.

Exhibition: Chinese New Year and Culture

Did you know that 2007 is the Year of the Pig?  Learn more about the zodiac and other customs and festivals of China in the Chinese New Year and Culture display in the lobby of Olin Library and Whispers Café.  The display runs from Friday, February 16th through Friday, March 16th. (Prepared by the Washington University Chinese Students and Scholars Association.)

Exhibition: A History Lesson: St. Louis Then and Now

A Black History Month exhibit, A History Lesson: St. Louis Then and Now, is currently on display in Olin Library’s lobby. It runs through February 28, 2007.

Exhibition: Safer Sex Awareness Week

The Student Health Advisory Committee mounted an informational display for Safer Sex Awareness Week. The display runs from February 9-16, 2007 and is located in Olin Library's Whispers Cafe.

Exhibition: The Big Read

A display on the Big Read, featuring Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, can be seen in Olin Library's Whispers Cafe.The display runs through February 28, 2007. The Big Read is a "national program designed to encourage literacy reading by helping communities come together to read and discuss a single book."