The goal of the library exhibition program is to provide a space for student work and campus research to be shared with the community and that our exhibition program provides an opportunity to present stories, voices, and work that otherwise may not be able to be shared.
  • A museum display case containing multiple stacks of small, historic printed pamphlets and books arranged upright and flat. An open book is positioned at the center. Museum signage in the background reads “You are on Level 4,” with informational panels and gallery walls behind the case.
  • A museum display containing several open books with handwritten and printed text. A small portrait image and placards are positioned at the front of the case, with additional books arranged behind.
  • A museum case displaying several open and closed historical books. One large book is open on a stand at the center, with smaller books open and closed around it. An informational placard is placed below the central book.
  • A close-up of an open historical newspaper displayed in a museum case. The masthead reads “Deseret News,” and the pages are densely printed with narrow columns of text. Additional books and placards are visible beneath the open newspaper.
  • A museum exhibit showing multiple open historical books displayed on angled stands. The pages contain dense text and illustrations. A small portrait image and descriptive placards are positioned near the books.
  • A museum display showing several nineteenth‑century primers and instructional books arranged upright and flat. Titles include variations of “Primer,” with worn covers in brown, green, and tan tones. Informational labels describing each book are placed in front of the items.
  • A display case featuring early printed books and documents. Two upright books with decorative covers stand on the left, an open book rests on a stand to the right, and handwritten notes and printed labels are displayed between them.
  • A display case showing an open book centered on a stand, with two smaller books placed in front. A portrait image and informational placards accompany the books inside the case.
  • A museum exhibit showing a book titled “English Hopi Vocabulary Written in the Deseret Alphabet” standing upright. In front of it are small handwritten notebooks and a printed portrait image displayed inside the case.
  • A display case featuring instructional manuals and textbooks related to phonography and shorthand. The books have worn covers in brown and beige tones and are arranged flat in rows with informational labels.
  • A museum case displaying media related to the film “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” including cassette tapes, printed cards, pamphlets, and labels arranged neatly on a dark display surface.
  • A framed artwork displayed in a museum case featuring a stylized illustration of a bearded figure and symbolic geometric elements. Beneath the artwork are smaller printed items and pamphlets arranged side by side.

Designing Deseret

Level 4

Step into the world of nineteenth-century Utah, where language, typography, identity, and imagination converged in one of the most ambitious printing experiments in American history: the Deseret Alphabet. Designing Deseret brings together scholars, printers, artists, and collectors to explore the alphabet’s origins, its evolving cultural role, and its enduring legacy in the history of the book.
Designing Deseret is an exhibition drawn from the Special Collections materials, created to promote and complement a two-day symposium dedicated to the DeseretAlphabet, to take place in early June.
This exhibition will encourage audiences to consider the alphabet not only as a linguistic system but as a material and visual culture shaped by faith, technology, and community-building. Serving as both an introduction to and an extension of the symposium, the exhibition will offer scholars, students, and the public a space to encounter the Deseret Alphabet through its surviving artifacts and printed forms.

The exhibition is FREE and open to the public.

  • Display case with naval artifacts: a sailor's cap, a brass bell, historic photographs of ships and a sailor. The mood is nostalgic and historical.
  • Antique brass bell with a patina, displayed in a glass case. It has a robust, weathered look, evoking a sense of history and nostalgia.
  • Navy cap labeled "USS Utah" displayed in a glass case with a black-and-white portrait of a sailor. Nearby, a historical naval photograph adds context.
  • Gray buttoned medical uniform with a red cross emblem on the pocket, set against a plain wall. The uniform is neatly displayed, evoking a sense of professionalism and care.
  • A museum display case features a newspaper article titled "Utah Co-Pilot Makes Final Flight Home," alongside a single aviator's glove and sunglasses, evoking wartime remembrance.
  • A vintage rice cooker and a military uniform are on display in a museum exhibit. Informational panels detail the historical context and significance.
  • A black-and-white photo of a smiling military man in uniform is shown next to a text detailing Nelson Akagi's World War II service, highlighting his contributions and challenges as a Japanese American soldier. The tone is respectful, recounting personal and military achievements.
  • Antique surgical tools displayed in a glass case with a wooden cabinet in the background. The room has a museum-like atmosphere, evoking curiosity and historical intrigue.
  • A military canteen and helmet displayed in a museum exhibit. The canteen has a fabric cover with tags, while the helmet appears rugged and worn.

Veteran’s Day Exhibit

Level 4, Reading Room

September 2, 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. To commemorate this anniversary and honor the veterans who served in WWII, Special Collections, in collaboration with the Fort Douglas Museum, will display collection materials, including biographies, news clippings, photos, uniforms, and personal belongings. The exhibition will highlight the service of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese American unit, that was integral to the American forces’ success in the European theater.

Image of Research: Capturing the Spark of Discovery

Level 1

They say an image is worth a thousand words. Whether the research explores the use of fungi in biomedical materials, neurorobotics to support stroke patients, the shaping of domestic violence policy or the legacy of Black cowboys in the American West, the Image of Research provides a platform to express scholarship in imaginative and unexpected ways, thereby expanding its reach.  

The 20 images in this exhibition were selected by a jury representing a wide variety of units on campus. First, second, and third place awards were given to the faculty/ post-doc group as well as the graduate student group. Attendees of the celebration held on March 31 voted for the People’s Choice award.