Olin Library

On that historic day 243 years ago, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. But it would be weeks before the Founding Fathers would actually sign the handwritten document now housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. In the meantime, official broadsides — one of which is showcased at Washington University in St. Louis — were printed and posted on the doors of courthouses across the nation.

What happened on July 4, 1776? Not what you might think. On that historic day more than 200 years ago, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. But it would be weeks before the Founding Fathers actually signed the handwritten document now housed in the National Archives in Washington. In the meantime, official broadsides were printed and posted on courthouse doors across the colonies. One of those broadsides is now on view at Washington University.

The new Thomas Gallery in Olin Library at Washington University in St. Louis unveiled this week its debut exhibition — “Lasting Legacies,” a tribute to noted alumni. The exhibit is the first of many to showcase University Libraries’ Department of Special Collections, which is among academia’s largest and most diverse.

Olin Library at Washington University in St. Louis will unveil two highly anticipated features on Tuesday, Jan. 16 — an improved Whispers Café and new study spaces in the Newman Tower of Collections and Exploration. And, for the first time, both the library’s south and north entrances will be open, making it easier to use.

Whispers Café is getting a makeover (along with the rest of the library). What was once a courtyard neighboring Olin became one of the most popular study spots and cafés on campus. Here, we take a look back at how the café evolved.

The Olin Library Transformation project, a renovation of John M. Olin Library, has been delayed due to the discovery of a rock shelf beneath the building. The renovated library now is expected to open in spring 2018.

Thanks to the family of Eric and Evelyn Newman, the John M. Olin Library at Washington University in St. Louis now is in possession of one of the few surviving broadsides of the Declaration of Independence. It will go on on permanent exhibit at Olin Library in spring 2018.

The Olin Library Transformation project is about to get underway. Construction on the renovation of Olin Library begins Monday, May 23, and new spaces are slated to be open by the fall 2017 semester.

Following a successful trial run during the 2012-2013 academic year, Olin Library has expanded 24-hour access to five nights a week. Olin Library is now open from 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings to 8 p.m. on Friday evenings when fall and spring semester classes are in session. 

An Olin Library exhibition, titled William H. Gass: The Soul Inside the Sentence, ends July 31. But a newly launched digital version of the exhibit allows for ongoing exploration of a wide-ranging selection of the esteemed writer’s drafts, interviews, photographs and more. A gallery talk will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, July 19, in Olin Library’s Ginkgo Reading Room, providing a guided tour of the in-person exhibition.