LSU Libraries Special Collections will present “Unlocking Special Collections: A Selection of Staff Favorites” in the first-floor exhibition gallery of Hill Memorial Library from April 6, 2026, to July 31, 2026. The exhibition is free and open to the public. 

A meander map of the Mississippi River. An early example of manga. Photographs of train depots and Martin Luther King, Jr. A bible from Ethiopia. A botanical field guide. Marginalia, sketches, letters, and postcards. At first glance, these items have little in common. The only obvious—if tenuous—connection is that they are all held within LSU Libraries Special Collections. However, each item displayed is a favorite selected by a member of the Hill Memorial Library team, offering insight into both the collections and the people who preserve and share them.

Choosing a favorite from a collection as vast and varied as this was no easy task. The challenge was posed as part of an ongoing social media campaign that began last summer, inviting participants to choose a single item or collection that reflects their interests. They rose to the occasion, highlighting surprising and meaningful selections. Some contributors have worked in Hill for decades, while others have been here less than a year, but each has amassed incredible insight into these items in their tenure, providing a unique overview of the collections as a whole. Their favorite items, first showcased on social media and now highlighted within the exhibition, act as an initial foray into some of the best kept secrets of Special Collections. 

These unique items speak to the breadth of perspectives and personalities of both the collections they reside in as well as the people who work to provide access to them. In viewing the selections within this exhibition, the curators hope visitors will be inspired to unlock Special Collections for themselves and discover their own favorites.