Current Exhibitions
The University of Oklahoma Libraries exhibition program aims to improve awareness of the libraries' collections, strengthen the community's engagement with the library, and foster the intellectual curiosity that stems from interdisciplinary research and scholarship.
Current Rotating Exhibitions
Russia's Romanovs in War, Revolution, and Exile, 1916-2016: Stories from a Family Archive
September 2025–May 2026
Browse the Featured Collection
The Russian Revolution claimed the lives of Tsar Nicholas II and many members of his immediate family, but other Romanovs (also spelled Romanoffs) managed to escape. They then worked to build new lives in their adopted countries while also trying to preserve their Russian identities and culture. One of these exiles was Prince Nikita Alexandrovich, a nephew of the Tsar; by a strange twist of fate, his descendants donated a substantial portion of their archive to the University of Oklahoma. In this exhibit, we use photos, diaries, and artifacts from the Special Research Collections of OU Libraries to tell their stories. This exhibit was co-curated with Dr. Melissa Stockdale, the Brian and Sandra O’Brien Presidential Professor in the Department of History and co-director of the Romanoff Center for Russian Studies.
News:
An Age of Dreamers and Storytellers: Media, Mass Communication, and the University of Oklahoma
September 2025–March 2026
Browse the Featured Collection
This exhibit explores the legacy, groundbreaking stories, and transformative role of the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and the H.H. Herbert School of Journalism. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Gaylord College and 112 years of journalism at OU, this exhibit celebrates the past, present, and future of media. This exhibition was co-curated with the Gaylord College of Journalism.
Digging the Past; Preserving the Future
September 2025–March 2026
Browse the Featured Collection
This exhibition highlights some of the people, work, and tools, that preceded the formation of Oklahoma Archeologicial Survey and their impact and continuing work to fulfill their mission “To research Oklahoma's archeological record; to work with state and federal agencies, and the citizens of Oklahoma to preserve significant archeological sites; and to disseminate information about Oklahoma's cultural heritage through publications and public presentations.”
Ongoing Exhibitions
Costumes from the Helmerich School of Drama
The ongoing display of costumes represents a longstanding relationship between University Libraries, the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, and the Helmerich School of Drama. The costumes rotate periodically and, through partnership with Professor Lloyd Cracknell, showcase the creativity in design and talent in fabrication of the students, faculty, and staff involved in their production. Created here on campus for use in campus productions, these costumes allow us to continue to share the joy of the show even after the final curtain.
Newbery Award Winners
January 2022–Ongoing
Browse the Featured Collection
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The University Libraries holds a copy of every book that has been awarded the medal. In January 2022, all 100 books were moved to display in the Brandt Lounge on the Main floor of Bizzell Memorial Library to celebrate the 100th year of the award. New winners are added to the display as they are announced and received by the library. All items are available for checkout with a valid OU ID.