Lilly Library turns 50

The Lilly Library turned 50 this year, with Oct. 3 marking the anniversary of
the dedication.

The library is named after J.K. Lilly, who donated his entire collection of more than 20,000 rare books and 17,000 manuscripts to IU.

“People really do value the library,” Cherry Williams, curator of manuscripts said. “It enriches their lives, and they are proud of this world-class facility.”

In honor of the building that has helped enrich IU’s campus, the Lilly Library has already sponsored many exhibits and speakers for the year, including two exhibits, “Treasures of the Lilly Library” and “Of Cabbages and Kings: Unexpected Treasures of the Lilly Library.”

The current display, “Gilding the Lilly, A Hundred Medieval and Illuminated Manuscripts in the Lilly Library” is on display until Dec. 18. The exhibition showcases 100 of the Lilly Library’s manuscripts written in the Medieval and Renaissance eras.

Paul Needham, a leading authority on early printing, will speak at 5 p.m. Monday at the library about the Lilly’s copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the first book to be printed in the West with moveable type.

The library was built to house and preserve Lilly’s collection, as well as expand upon it by collecting and purchasing rare books and manuscripts. Several donators have helped to contribute to the collection over the years.

Many of the materials are available for use by anyone with current identification.

“What’s important is that the Lilly Library is not a storehouse,” Breon Mitchell, director of the Lilly Library, said. “It is an open collection that invites students and scholars to come in and use the materials. We are unusually accessible.”

The Lilly will have a 50th anniversary celebration gala on Nov. 11 that will help to raise funds for the museum. Many people will be in attendance, including IU President Michael McRobbie.

The event will include a presentation from speaker Christopher de Hamel, curator of the “Gilding the Lilly” exhibit and author of “Gilding the Lilly: A Hundred Medieval and Illuminated Manuscripts in the Lilly.”

The event is invitation only, but a reception will be open to the public prior to the dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. for people to help celebrate the library.

For those considering attendance, curator of books Joel Silver said it will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

“Some people present I’m sure were present when the Lilly Library was dedicated in 1960,” he said. “This is a chance to be a part of not only IU history, but cultural history as well.”