Spencer Research Library planning 50th anniversary exhibition

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the fall of 2018. Celebrations will include the creation of a new exhibition that will highlight compelling items from Spencer library’s collections identified by researchers, students and friends of the library.

“We are excited to celebrate 50 years as a center for research, discovery and cultural memory,” said Beth Whittaker, assistant dean for distinctive collections at Spencer. “This celebration will help us to tell the story of Spencer Research Library. The impact that Spencer, its services and its collections have had on KU, the community and the world is incalculable.”

To expand the depth of the exhibition and involve the community in the upcoming celebrations, KU Libraries would like to invite the public to submit suggested items from the Spencer library’s collections for inclusion in the physical exhibition, an electronic exhibition or in promotional materials or publications. Along with a description of the item, submitters are encouraged to comment on how the item has shaped their research or teaching, or about how it has affected them personally. 

“Spencer’s 50-year milestone offers us the opportunity to reflect on the many ways this library and our collections have touched the lives of our visitors,” Whittaker said. “We look forward to sharing our collections and serving the campus, the state and the world for the next 50 years.”

To submit an item for consideration, please complete a short webform or contact Beth Whittaker directly. In order to have suggestions considered for inclusion, please submit by March 23 to allow time for materials to be selected and prepared for the exhibition.

To learn more about Kenneth Spencer Research Library, please visit spencer.lib.ku.edu.