Our primary exhibition for Spring 2026, Cultivating Community: Stories from Special Collections, is currently open and will continue through June 15, 2026.
This exhibition highlights examples of survival, contemplation, competition, protest, and learning. Showcasing narratives spanning centuries and continents, each story demonstrates that the power of constructing community and cultivating hope transcends time and place.
The exhibition features six distinct collections housed in the Rare Books & Special Collections, and is curated by Hesburgh Libraries faculty members. Click below to learn more about each of the individual exhibits within the exhibition:
Women Religious in Male Spaces
Curated by David T. Gura, Ph.D. (Curator, Ancient and Medieval Manuscripts)
A Community of Learners in Colonial America and the Early Republic
Curated by Rachel Bohlmann, Ph.D. (Curator, American History and American Studies)
A Community of Solidarity
Curated by Natasha Lyandres (Curator, Russian and East European Studies)
The Gay Olympic Games: Community Through Sport
Curated by Gregory Bond, Ph.D. (Curator, Joyce Sports Research Collection)
Ireland’s Idealized Community
Curated by Matthew Knight, Ph.D. (Curator, Irish Studies)
Transnational Communities of Resistance during El Salvador’s Civil War
Curated by Payton Phillips Quintanilla, Ph.D. (Curator, Latin American and Iberian Studies)
Tours of the exhibit may be arranged for classes and other groups by contacting rarebook@nd.edu. All exhibits are free and open to the public during business hours. This and other exhibits within the library are generously supported by the McBrien Special Collections Endowment.