The Lilly Library, Indiana University

08/19/2026

The Declaration of Independence exhibition has been super-sized!

We are excited to present an expansion of The Declaration of Independence: The Motives the Moment, which has moved up to the North Gallery. Joining it in the South Gallery is The Signers, focusing on the signatories of the nation's founding document.

The Signers is an exhibition of letters and documents bearing the autographs of the fifty-six men who signed the August 2, 1776 handwritten copy of the Declaration. Though the length and content of these letters and documents vary widely, from brief notes or orders to long and detailed personal letters, they all offer insight into the daily lives, activities, and concerns of the signers.

Even if you've come by to see our rare original printing of the Declaration, The Signers along with the expanded The Motives, The Moment is sure to satisfy your hunger for history.

https://libraries.indiana.edu/lilly-library/the-signers

08/12/2026

While our exhibition, The Whole World in a Book: Celebrating Madeline Kripke's Dictionary Collection, may have ended, the collection is still deserving of attention and research! Curator and Indiana University Provost Professor of English Michael Adams recently appeared on That Word Chat to discuss the Kripke Collection.

Linguist Michael Adams spoke to us about the Madeline Kripke collec...

08/10/2026

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Slocum Collection of mechanical puzzles at the Lilly Library. On the occasion of his 95th birthday, and coinciding with the National Puzzler's League Convention, donor Jerry Slocum recently visited the Lilly Library. Read more below.

https://libraries.indiana.edu/20-years-slocum-puzzles-lilly-library

06/05/2026

Barney Wood recently visited to talk about the Lilly Library's copy of the New Testament of the Gutenberg Bible with Erika Dowell, Executive Associate Director and Curator of Modern Manuscripts. Check it out!

Discover the rare Gutenberg Bible at Indiana University's Lilly Library, a historic volume that revolutionized access to books and knowledge.

04/23/2026

Curatorial assistant Kylee Green showcases some eye-opening comics and scrapbooks of optometric interest from the collection of Henry W. Hofstetter, who was the first president of IU's optometry school.

Curatorial assistant Kylee Green showcases some eye-opening comics and scrapbooks of optometric interest from the Hofstetter Collection! These scrapbooks don’t contain family photos or memorabilia. Instead, they contain cartoons about optometry from the years 1900-1993. Well, most are about optome...

04/20/2026

The Lilly Library's Curator of Puzzles, Andrew Rhoda, has been writing a blog series on the incredible mechanical puzzles in the Slocum Collection. His latest post shares some amazing puzzle vessels!

Welcome to the seventh spotlight of the Lilly Library’s Mechanical Puzzle blog series, written by Andrew Rhoda, the Lilly Library’s Curator of Puzzles! Puzzle vessels are objects where the solver drinks from, pours from, or pours into the vessel without spilling or otherwise losing the contents ...

04/08/2026

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover... but sometimes it might be the wisest course of action! Learn all about The Poison Book Project at this year's annual Ruth C. Engs Lecture on Public Health.

Join us at the Lilly Library on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 as we welcome this year’s speakers, Dr. Melissa Tedone and Dr. Rosie Grayburn, Lead Conservator and Conservation Scientist for the Poison Book Project. The speakers will discuss their research focusing on identifying potentially toxic pigments used in bookbinding components and how to handle and store potentially toxic collections more safely.

Along with refreshments, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the history of science and healthcare through a hands-on pop-up exhibition of some of the Lilly Library’s renowned historical medical materials.

See comments below for RSVP link. 📚☠