Library Calendar

The ancient poet Sappho coined "sweetbitter" in one of her most evocative verses, still striking us to the heart nearly three millennia later. As with so many ancient figures, the poet is more legend than person today, her story told and retold even as her poetry continues to enchant and move. This exhibit will be on display through mid-August 2026.

Celebrating American Music Month 2025 we have installed a new exhibit, Strange Wonders from the Band World, in the Library Gallery. Many exotic and unusual musical instruments created by ingenious inventors ranged the world’s concert stages during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Join us for the third webinar in the Costumes & Customs Lecture Series, sponsored by the Office of Arts Integration and organized in collaboration with the University Library, the Department of Theatre, the Department of Classics, the Spurlock Museum, and the Krannert Art Museum, explores the history and cultural significance of clothing across time and place.

Join us for an afternoon of free play of the upcoming addition of the library’s loanable technology resource: video game consoles!

Are you looking to get into reading for fun but don’t know where to start? Are you a moderate-to-avid reader looking to take your recreational reading practice to the next level? Then join us on Wednesday, 11/12 from 11 am-12 pm in room 220 of the Main Library for our Recreational Reading App & Journaling Workshop!

Gillen D’Arcy Wood will speak about his new book, "The Wake of HMS Challenger: How a Legendary Victorian Voyage Tells the Story of Our Oceans' Decline".

School of Integrative Biology graduate student Vivian Cheng will discuss her research using genetics, ancient DNA, and historical archives to understand the effects of climate change and colonialism on narwhals.

What happens when writers, archivists, and preservationists join forces? At the University of Illinois, this partnership transforms ordinary records into stories that bridge generations. Writers capture the immediacy of campus life through interviews, profiles, and features while archivist. Join us for a special presentation by Josh Harris, Kim Schmidt, and Abigail Bobrow.

Enjoy a free concert featuring the Music & Performing Arts Library’s Steinway Duo-Art Reproducing Piano! See the piano in action and learn more about the instrument and roll collection. This is an informal even and all are welcome!

In this talk, award-winning classicist and bestselling author Dr. Emily Hauser explores the many different ways in which we can start to uncover the women of the ancient world. Hauser's writings range from deep analysis of Greek texts, to popular contemporary myth retellings, to innovative takes on history that mix fact and fiction to uncover new ways of knowing.

Looking for something fun to read over Fall Break? From romance novels to graphic novels, we have recommendations for everyone and every genre. Need to protect your book from damage, or want to keep what you're reading private? Make your very own book cover that does both!