Musselman Library Exhibits

Main Level Window Bays

The posters in this series focus on parts of the Gettysburg College story that have been minimized or neglected altogether in previous histories – particularly with respect to underrepresented groups, issues, and activisms. Based on sometimes incomplete sources, they represent imperfect knowledge and are not comprehensive. They are a beginning, not an ending.

For that reason, we invite your feedback – corrections, additional information, people and events not pictured. We also invite contributions of relevant documents, photos, etc. to the College Archives, or via our digital repository, “What We Did Here: Activism at Gettysburg College.”

The story of change at Gettysburg is being written every day. You can help write it!

Additional resources:

• Gettysburg College: A Diversity Story: library-supported student project on the diversification of Gettysburg College
• This is Why We Fight: Student Activism at Gettysburg College: library-supported student project on student activism at Gettysburg College
• College and Community in Adams County: examines the evolution of service partnerships between Gettysburg College and the local community

Library Stair Tower Gallery

How do you move an academic library? With 1,350 campus volunteers “walking” the books!

On April 22, 1981, faculty, staff, students and even College President Charles Glassick carried the entire collection of 180,000 books from the old Schmucker Library across the campus to Musselman Library. This exhibit’s images tell the story.

Forty years later, Musselman Library’s collection has expanded to include formats never dreamed of in 1981, when desktop computers were new and ebooks and databases were the realm of science fiction.

Join Musselman Library in celebrating its 40^th anniversary. This exhibit is also available to view online.

Library Main Level

Humans have been gazing upon the stars since ancient times. Musselman Library’s Stargazing exhibit takes you from Mayan astronomers in 3114 BCE, to Gettysburg College’s first observatory and guest registry of 1874, to the present day selection of Special Collections “heavenly” rare books, many formerly in the collection of Laurence Marschall, Professor of Physics, Emeritus. The Stargazing exhibit, located in five display cases on the main level by the apse, will be available to view now through the end of December 2021.