Sep 22, 2020 Rare Books Digital Exhibition — Sassy Faith

from The Book and the Great Community, J. Willard Marriott Library, 1994

On May 17, 1968, Wallace Stegner delivered a dedicatory address to the new Marriott Library, in which he said: “To erect a great library in the year 1968 is an act of stubborn and sassy faith.” At the dedication, in a time of trouble when the antics of a counter-culture were burning libraries rather than building them, Stegner dared to look ahead.

from The Knowledge of Things Unknown, Godrius, 1679

Now, more than fifty years later, libraries face unprecedented changes as they move deeper into a digital world.  In 2020, the Rare Books Department also dares to look ahead, with more digital exhibitions, more virtual lectures, and more blog posts than ever before.

Enjoy a virtual gallery stroll of Sassy Faith, based on a physical exhibition which celebrated the J. Willard Marriott Library’s 50th anniversary — recognizing the work of the Friends of the Library, past, present, and future, in its charge to keep our physical collections safe and growing.