In the late seventeenth century, colleges usually built their library collections from donations, not college funds. The main donor for William & Mary’s first library was Francis Nicholson, the royal governor of Virginia, who gave over 200 volumes in 1698.
Past Exhibits
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Up in Flames
December 17, 2015 to June 30, 2016 -
Artisan, Scholar, Soldier, Historian
June 10, 2015 to June 12, 2016Featuring documents, photographs, and selected ceramic works from the Joseph Palin Thorley Papers in Swem Library’s Special Collections Research Center, this exhibit provides unique insights into the many facets of his life as an artisan, scholar, soldier, and historian.
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William & Mary Athletics Display
June 15, 2015 to June 12, 2016Tribe Pride: William & Mary Athletics Display uses photographs, artifacts, and publications housed in the University Archives to showcase history of intercollegiate sports at William & Mary.
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Documenting the LGBTIQ Past in Virginia
April 1, 2016 to April 28, 2016The William & Mary Mattachine LGBTIQ Research Project: Documenting the LGBTIQ Past in Virginia aims to better understand, chronicle, and preserve the history of LGBTIQ people in Virginia.
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July 22, 2015 to March 31, 2016Over the course of a fifty-year career, Rev. Harris has served his community of Hopewell, Virginia, not only as a civil rights activist, but also as political official and religious leader.
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A Selection of Materials from Special Collections
October 22, 2015 to March 31, 2016This exhibit features a selection of the varied materials found in Swem Library's Special Collections, arranged from A to Z.
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Together Serving Others, October 2011-October 2015
March 1, 2016 to March 28, 2016The artwork displayed in this exhibit commemorates the 40th Reunion of William & Mary's Class of 1975 and the culmination of the Staying Connected initiative.
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The Nancy H. Marshall "A Visit from St. Nicholas" Collection
December 4, 2015 to January 15, 2016Continuing our annual tradition, this year’s exhibit showcases the variety of form that has proliferated since the poem’s publication more than 180 years ago.
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November 4, 2015 to December 15, 2015Contemporary artists respond to Upton Sinclair's classic text The Jungle, which portrays the wretched conditions for works and animals in the Chicago meat-packing industry of the early 20th century.
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35 Years of Virginia Hip-Hop History and Culture
February 4, 2015 to December 6, 2015This exhibit explores Virginia's 35 years of hip-hop history through oral histories, curated playlists, artifacts, posters, and other archival materials in the William & Mary Hip Hop Collection.