Racism and discrimination, traditionally oppressive institutions in American history and culture, were challenged by the Civil Rights Movement (1945-1970). The "Jim Crow" system remained in place for nearly seventy years, until the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision re-energized equal rights activism.

For "The Most of Special Collections," UVA Library staff and friends identified twenty one categories that would provide superlative examples of the Library's collections, and within each category they made appropriate selections for display. The description of each item in the exhibition was written by the person who chose the item.

Through letters and diaries, photographs, newspaper accounts, and personal mementos, "Hearts at Home" examines different aspects of southern women's experiences at home and on the battlefield during the Civil War.

A fortuitous combination of events and personalities has made the University of Virginia Library the repository of one of the most extensive collections of Tibetan literature in the world. "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" exhibition aims to demystify the sacred Tibetan texts on death and dying and to create an opportunity to share the wisdom of these ancient beliefs and practices with the University community and beyond.

The University of Virginia's history is filled with fascinating tales, amusing traditions, and inspiring alumni. Through photographs, letters, and mementos, "All the Hoos" explores the history of the University through the lives of its students and its faculty.

This exhibition on censorship in the United States hopes not so much to judge censors and censorship but instead to provoke questions. The prevalence of the red pen in a country founded on the Bill of Rights suggests that most people consider some things or ideas too dangerous or offensive to be made widely available. Is there a line in the sand? And if so, where do you stand? Where are your limits of tolerance? As you move through the exhibition, we invite you to consider whether or not there are restrictions which you might impose on the First Amendment.

In May 2000, the University of Virginia Library received 447 rare books, manuscripts, and maps from the estate of Paul Mellon. Celebrated as a philanthropist, art collector, and breeder of thoroughbred horses, Mellon was also a passionate book collector and amassed one of the greatest libraries of original documents of American history. Although Mellon was originally from Pittsburgh, he adopted Virginia as his home state and, through his bequest, ensured that items from his collection significant to Virginia history remained in the Commonwealth.

Featuring archaeological artifacts from the University of Virginia’s Flowerdew Hundred Collection, this permanent exhibit presents material evidence of Virginia’s early inhabitants: Native American pottery sherds; arms and armor used to defend the new colony; refined, imported wares from Europe; and American-made goods, including items manufactured by African Americans. The materials from UVA’s Special Collections also on display—images from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century maps and books—illustrate the importance of the historical record in the study of material culture.

In 1970, 450 undergraduate women arrived on Grounds as part of the University of Virginia's first fully coeducational class. Although the UVA that they encountered was still very much a man's university, they were by no means the first women to make their mark here. This exhibition highlights the experiences of some of the first women to live, study, and work at the University, who paved the way for full coeducation.

"Portraits from the Golden Age of Jazz" features a collection of black and white photographs of jazz musicians by William P. Gottlieb. During the 1930s and 1940s, Gottlieb photographed the contemporary jazz scene for The Washington Post and Down Beat magazine. His incisive portraits evoke the essence of the era and capture unforgettable images of jazz greats such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, and many others.