Rare Books and Special Collections welcomes students, faculty, staff, researchers, and visitors back to campus for Fall 2026! We want to let you know about a variety of things to watch for in the coming semester.
Fall 2026 Exhibits
The Delirium of the Brave: Sacrifice for the Soul of the Irish Nation
“Life springs from death, and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations.” — P.H. Pearse, August 1915
In 1803, Robert Emmet led a failed rebellion to overthrow British rule in Ireland. In 1848, a group called Young Ireland staged a brief revolt that was hastily crushed. The Fenian Brotherhood invaded British North America in 1866, and the Irish Republican Brotherhood organized a series of unsuccessful raids in Ireland the following year. On Easter Monday, 1916, a small group of Irish insurgents launched a rebellion in Dublin that was quashed in under a week. While these four attempts to create an independent Ireland may have failed, they each gave rise to a powerful romantic narrative that captivated the spirits of the Irish at home and abroad. Out of sacrifice and tragedy sprang patriotic verse, defiant journalism, cultural revival, and eventually, Irish freedom from British rule.
This exhibit features items from Rare Books and Special Collections and the University Archives that document the heroes, martyrs, and idealistic men and women who forged modern Ireland.
This exhibit is curated by Matthew Knight (Department Head, Rare Books and Special Collections; Irish Studies Librarian and Curator). This and other exhibits within the Hesburgh Libraries are generously supported by the McBrien Special Collections Endowment.
All exhibits are free and open to the public during business hours.
Special Collections’ Classes & Workshops
Throughout the semester, curators will lead instructional sessions related to our holdings for undergraduate and graduate students from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College, and Holy Cross College. Curators may also be available to show special collections materials to visiting classes, from preschool through adults. If you would like to arrange a group visit and class with a curator, please contact Special Collections.
Events
All programs are free and open to the public.
Thursday, September 17 at 5:00 pm | Italian Research Seminar: Beatrice Rosso (Notre Dame)
Thursday, September 24 at 5:00 pm | Italian Research Seminar: Lia Markey (Center for Renaissance Studies, Newberry Library)
Learn more about other Special Collections and Hesburgh Library events.
Recent Acquisitions
Special Collections acquires new material throughout the year. Watch this blog for information about recent acquisitions.
Anticipated Closures
Rare Books and Special Collections is regularly open 9:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The department will be closed for the following holidays and events:
August 20, closing early at 1:45 pm for a Library event (Thursday)
September 7, for Labor Day (Monday)
November 26–27, for Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday)
Our last day open before the campus closure for Christmas Celebration will be Wednesday, December 23. We will reopen on Monday, January 4, 2027.
Hours and other information for all Hesburgh Library locations can be found on the Library Website.