University Libraries

      Latin American collections focus of new University Libraries exhibition

      'Myth, History, and the Written Word: Manuscript and Print Culture in Latin America' is on display Sept. 26 though Feb. 2, 2025

      From the Collection of José Guadalupe Posada prints in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Penn State University Libraries. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The rare and distinctive Latin American collections held by the Eberly Family Special Collections Library will be the focus of the upcoming exhibition “Myth, History, and the Written Word: Manuscript and Print Culture in Latin America.”

      Visitors can view the exhibition, curated by Manuel Ostos, librarian and curator of Romance Language and Latin American Collections, beginning Sept. 26 through Feb. 7, 2025, in the Special Collections exhibition space at 104 Paterno Library at Penn State University Park. The exhibition is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

      An opening reception takes place Sept. 26 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, and is free and open to the public. Peruvian-inspired appetizers and drinks will be served.

      Ranging from the 16th century to the present, the exhibition features highlights from the collections of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library. The range of materials on display — handwritten documents, rare books, literary journals, photographs and contemporary artists’ books, for example — document the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of Latin Americans and those who trace their ancestors to these regions and cultures. Selections from the library’s ongoing oral history project to document the experiences of Latina/o/x students at Penn State can be viewed in the exhibition space and online.   

      Public tours of the exhibition will be offered on Oct. 22 at 11 a.m., Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. and on Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. Tours are free, open to all and take place in the Special Collections exhibition space.

      The exhibition program is made possible by generous support from the Sandra K. Stelts and Ronald L. Filippelli Exhibitions Program Endowment, the Krumrine Family Libraries Endowment, and the Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair for Special Collections Endowment at Penn State University Libraries. 

      Requests for class or special tours, including inquiries regarding accessibility accommodation, should be directed to Clara Drummond, lead curator and exhibitions coordinator, at cjd86@psu.edu.

      Last Updated September 20, 2024

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