History of the James Hardiman Library in 100 Objects

This collaborative project, steered by past and present members of the Library staff, created display panels reflecting the library's acquisitions since it opened in 1849, as well as images of objects intrinsic to its history. The exhibition aims to encourage past, present and future readers to engage with the wide ranging themes within the library's collections in a broad range of formats. The images were chosen to reflect the vivid impact of our collection content, including early printed books, theatre and drama, Irish language and literature, political history and, of course, the history of the University itself. The accompanying objects, some humble, some rare, invoke the story of the library services from the opening of the University through the 1973 development to the present plans for our new library, scheduled to open in 2027.

The exhibition is bilingual, in Irish and in English.