Quadricentennial Exhibition at Carolina Rediviva
Are you interested in the 400-year history of Uppsala University Library? If so, why not visit the new temporary exhibition at Carolina Rediviva, which tells the story behind the library’s priceless collections.
University Library.
“Of course, we have innumerable books ranging from classical writings to e-literature. In the exhibition, we focus on how we have collected them throughout our history. Many works have been donated over the years since 1621, when King Gustav II Adolf decided that the University Library should be established and donated a collection of books,” says librarian Helena Backman of Uppsala University Library, who has created the exhibition together with archivist Johan Sjöberg.
How the collection has grown
The displays also show how the library’s collections have grown through purchases of books, legal deposits of much of the printed matter published in Sweden and exchanges with other universities and libraries. One display shows the various buildings occupied by the library over the years, from damp premises at Uppsala Cathedral four centuries ago to today’s hybrid physical-digital environment.
The exhibition will be open until the end of April 2022. Having been delayed for several months due to the pandemic, it was finally opened on 10 September by Minister for Higher Education and Research Anna Ekström.
“We have had visitors here everyday since we opened the exhibition,” says Helena Backman.
Separate room for the Silver Bible
In addition to the Quadricentennial Exhibition, the library also has permanent exhibits, including Codex Argenteus, or the Silver Bible, which has its own separate room. There are also display cases in the middle of the space, the contents of which are regularly changed. All exhibitions are based on the contents of the building.
“It’s incredibly difficult to choose, as we have so much available to display. Not only books, but also photographic collections and personal archives, things one might not immediately associate with a library.”
The primary target group is the University’s own students and researchers.
“We aim to provide an insight into just how much there is to research and what collections we have,” explains Helena Backman.
Annica Hulth