Exhibitions & Events: Current exhibitions
It is the role of the Lilly Library to stimulate the intellectual curiosity of both the dedicated researcher and the casual visitor. In order to achieve this, the Library promotes a wide range of activities including exhibitions and special events such as poetry readings, musical performances and receptions, as well as lectures, tours, and class presentations.
Main Gallery
"Translating the Canon: Building Special Collections in the 21st Century"
May 21 - September 1, 2012
This exhibition displays a selection of the books, manuscripts, and other materials acquired by the Lilly Library from July 1, 2001 to the present. The exhibition also celebrates eleven years of service by Breon Mitchell, whose retirement as Director of the Lilly Library on August 1, 2012 marks the culmination of his career of more than forty years at Indiana University, Bloomington. As Director of the Lilly Library, Dr. Mitchell has continued the energetic programs of his predecessors in acquiring, by purchase and by gift, a large number of significant single items and collections in a variety of fields in which the Library was already strong, from literature to popular culture. He has also brought new interests to bear on the Lilly's collecting activities, and the present exhibition shows some of the highlights of what he has accomplished in many new and different fields, from literary translation to significant editions of dictionaries of the languages of the world.
In all of his acquisitions, Dr. Mitchell has made good use of the skills and knowledge acquired through a lifetime spent with books in all of their aspects, including research, writing, production and design, bookbinding, antiquarian bookselling, and collecting, Dr. Mitchell has also been one of the Lilly Library's most generous donors, and a few of the many books and manuscripts that he has donated to the Library are on display here. What cannot be shown in any exhibition are Dr. Mitchell's kindness and enthusiasm, his generosity of spirit, and his broad and deep knowledge of literature and books. The Lilly Library has benefited greatly from his guidance and support.
Pictured above: Selected notebooks and papers of translator Barbara Wright.
Slocum Puzzle Room
"A World of Puzzles"
A selection of puzzles from the world's largest collection of mechanical puzzles. Read more about these intriguing objects in the Guide to the Collections: Slocum Puzzle Collection.
"The Portuguese-Speaking Diaspora"
January 13 - April 30, 2012
The materials in this exhibit, curated by Darlene Sadlier, represent five centuries of the Portuguese-speaking diaspora with emphasis on history, literature, religion and the arts. By the mid-sixteenth century, the Portuguese-speaking diaspora stretched from Brazil and the mid-Atlantic territories of the Azores and Madeira to Africa, India, China, Southeast Asia and Japan. The majority of the items on display are from the Lilly Library Charles R. Boxer collection.
