Millionth Volumes Exhibit Now on Display

The public can now review a compilation of these 14 significant pieces in a new display in the North-South corridor of the Main Library. Mounted directly across from the Bronze Tablets, the exhibit features an image and short description of each volume. More detailed explanations of these rare gems are available in give-away booklets that accompany the display; an online version of the text is at go.library.illinois.edu/millionthvolumes.

The compelling showcase is the brainchild of Paul Lisnek, ’80 LAS, MA ’80 LAS, JD ’83 LAW, PHD ’86 LAS, who funded the project as part of his donation of the Library’s 14 millionth volume-The University of Illinois, Engine of Innovation, a 2017 publication marking the sesquicentennial of the Urbana-Champaign campus. Lisnek, a multi-Emmy, Cablefax, Telly, and Beacon Award-winning television host and analyst, enthusiastically backed the proposal for two reasons: to express his thanks for what the Library and University had done for him and to create a “fitting and lasting tribute” honoring “one of the largest libraries in the nation.”

The Millionth Volumes Exhibit was unveiled at a Library Friends event on October 26, 2018, and installed in November.