»News, Events and Exhibits

The Leatherby Libraries offers programming and exhibits throughout the year that complement and enhance the curriculum, study, and research interests at Chapman. The following is a listing of upcoming events in the Leatherby Libraries.

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Leatherby Libraries News & Stories

Visit our blog for the latest Leatherby Libraries news and stories.
View Leatherby Libraries Blog 

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Current Exhibitions & Displays

Sketching Chapman

The Leatherby Libraries is proud to showcase the artwork of Chapman University student Lizzie Bork ’26, featuring detailed drawings of many of the university’s iconic campus buildings. Her collection includes sketches of Memorial Hall, The George and Julianne Argyros Forum, The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Business and Technology Hall, and more. Visit this exhibit on the first floor of the Leatherby Libraries to take a visual journey across Chapman University without leaving the library.  

America 250

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary of independence, this exhibit features a selection of reproduced letters and related materials from the Center for American War Letters Archives, University Archives, and Special Collections. Located on the first floor of the Leatherby Libraries, the display highlights the experiences of Americans on both the home front and war front, offering a glimpse into the lives, sacrifices, and stories that helped shape the nation over the past 250 years.  

Escape for the Summer Book Display

This summer book display explores the power of fiction to spark imagination and offer an escape from reality. You can view the bibliography here for the list of all books currently on display. Visit this display on the first floor of the Leatherby Libraries to test the limits of your creativity and travel into a world of wonder and adventure. 

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Virtual Exhibits

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A Timeline on Breast Cancer Discovery and Treatment

Virtual exhibit: https://scalar.chapman.edu/scalar/breast-cancer-awareness-month/index

This virtual exhibit was created to educate the Chapman University community on the history of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment development. This exhibit aims to inform readers on how far our understanding of breast cancer has come and to encourage continued support for further development of new treatments.

Telling Stories: One Room at a Time

Virtual exhibit: https://scalar.chapman.edu/scalar/leatherby-libraries-story-rooms/index

This virtual exhibit tells the stories behind six of the Leatherby Libraries' story rooms: the Virginia G. Carson, Ph.D. Group Study Room, the Sikhs and Sikhism in America Group Study Room, the Mendez v. Westminster Group Study Room, the Italian Heritage Archive Group Study Room in Honor of John N. LaCorte, the Henri Temianka Archives Multimedia Room, and the Frederic J. Kakis, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus Group Study Room. These story rooms are open to all Chapman students, faculty, and staff to reserve for research or study purposes.

The Library at Chapman University: A Historical Look

Virtual exhibit:  https://scalar.chapman.edu/scalar/leatherby-libraries-story-rooms/index

This virtual exhibit is part of the yearlong celebration in 2021 of Chapman University's 160th anniversary, and chronicles the story of the library at Chapman over the years, beginning with the Stauffer Memorial Library in the early years, moving to the Thurmond Clarke Memorial Library, and finishing with what makes the Leatherby Libraries unique.

Temianka Talks Music: Lectures from a Virtuoso

Virtual exhibit: https://scalar.chapman.edu/scalar/temianka/index

This virtual exhibit explores the career of Henri Temianka (1906–1992), who, in 1946, co-founded the Paganini Quartet, an American virtuoso string quartet, which won acclaim for its 1947 recording of Beethoven's String Quartets No. 7 - 9, Opus 59, “Rasumovsky.” A gifted violinist, conductor, author, and music educator, Temianka broke classical tradition by casually lecturing about the musical genre right from the stage during performances. Research for this digital exhibit was generously supported by Dr. Daniel Temianka.

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Permanent and Long-term Exhibits and Displays in the Leatherby Libraries

California's Gold Exhibit

Leatherby Libraries, Lower Level 

The joy that the late TV legend Huell Howser shared with generations of Californians infuses a new permanent exhibit, sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Center for American War Letters Archives

Leatherby Libraries, Lower Level  

The Center for American War Letters Archives actively preserves and promotes the research of original correspondence and other materials from all American conflicts; from the American War for Independence through the present day.

Sala and Aron Samueli Holocaust Memorial Library

Leatherby Libraries, Fourth Floor

The Samueli Library's permanent and rotating exhibits tell of the individual lives affected, and all too often ended, by the Holocaust. A child's shoe from a death camp; a briefcase used to carry false documents for Jewish children in hiding; a poem written by a boy in a concentration camp, all transform history into stories through which we can engage and learn.

Orange County Historical Sites and Scenes

Leatherby Libraries, First Floor

This art installation is comprised of 12 intricate copper engraving prints of famous Orange County Historical Sites and Scenes made in 1975 by local artist Scott FitzGerald. FitzGerald “attempted to capture a part of the past for the sake of the future.” He used the painstaking medium of copper plate etching, commonly considered antiquated, to convey the subjects’ historical and transitory nature.