6 thought-provoking exhibitions around the US

Libraries are for more than just checking out books

The entrance to the Library of Congress exhibition "Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress"
'Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress' is the inaugural exhibition at the new David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery
(Image credit: Drew Angerer / AFP / Getty Images)

Books may be the main draw of a library, but they are not the only attraction. Museum-quality exhibitions that tap into an institute's vast archives can also bring in a crowd. These showcases at some of the best libraries in the U.S. are free and open for everyone to, well, check out.

'Alta / A Human Atlas of a City of Angels,' Los Angeles Central Library

'Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress,' Library of Congress

A handwritten account of the bombing of Hiroshima, James Madison's crystal flute, the autobiography of an enslaved West African scholar and an AIDS Memorial Quilt panel are among the 127 objects on display in this inaugural exhibition at the Library of Congress' new David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery. The exhibit focuses on the "preservation of cultural memories," The Washington Post said, with many items, like several original "Spider-Man" comic panels, being "quintessentially American." (through December)

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'Precious, Almost Sacred: Voting Rights in America,' Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at the University of Georgia

The long, hard battle for equal voting rights is examined in this exhibition, which uses newspaper clippings, letters and photos to chronicle Georgia's role in the fight. Special focus is placed on "monumental steps" like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, WUGA said. That act "began the journey towards removing racial discrimination at the polls." Other displays look at voter suppression, disenfranchisement and the creation of absentee ballots. (through June)

'Rhythm is My Business: Women Who Shaped Jazz,' New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

The early jazz scene was filled with women composers, instrumentalists, bandleaders and arrangers who were often considered novelties and, as such, were not taken seriously. These groundbreaking artists get their due in "Rhythm is My Business," their music coming alive through audio, video and other archival items from the New York Public Library's vast collection. (through June 13)

'Secretary to the People,' Parkway Central Library in Philadelphia

Artist Sheryl Oring has spent the last two decades traveling the U.S. with her vintage typewriter, asking Americans to dictate messages to the president. She makes two copies: one the participant can send to the White House and one for her archives.

"Secretary to the People" showcases dozens of these missives, which include words of advice, praise and admonishment. Oring sees her project as a "type of radical listening," she said to WHYY, and leaning in to accurately hear Americans' words is a "quintessential" part of the experience. (through April 30)

'Taught by the Pen: The World of Islamic Manuscripts,' Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University

In this celebration of Islam's "interconnected artistic, religious and scholarly traditions," visitors can view more than 150 Qurans, calligraphy albums, poetry collections, prayer books and maps spanning the 9th to 19th centuries, the Yale Library said. These works hail from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Asia and North America, and the exhibition delves into how the manuscripts and the "ideas they contain" were "transmitted and disseminated" around the world. (through Aug. 10)

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.