University Libraries celebrates Founders Day with spring student showcase

In honor of Founders Day 2025, Ohio University Libraries Archives and Special Collections and Digital Initiatives will present the opening of the digital and physical exhibits, "Out and Proud: The Origin and Evolution of Ohio University's Pride Movement,” which covers the late 1960s to the present.

Curated in the fall of 2024 by student interns Taylor Payne, Bachelor of Arts 2026, and Olivia Ondrik, Bachelor of Fine Arts 2027, the event highlights the importance of the new exhibits and their contribution to preserving the history of Pride at OHIO and in Athens.

The showcase will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 4-6 p.m. in and around the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections on the fifth floor of Alden Library. Attendees are welcome to drop in at any time, as there is not a formal program. All are welcome to come explore collection materials as well as hear from Archives & Special Collections and Digital Initiatives students about their projects. Light refreshments will be served and hands-on activities such as coloring pages and button making using images from the collections will be available, too.

Materials from University Archives, Manuscript Collections, Rare Books and the Documentary Photography Archive will be displayed. Specifically, the exhibits focus on the recently acquired and processed Ohio University Pride Collection. Both student interns and employees will share collections and their expertise on their fall and spring projects.

Miriam Intrator, head of Archives and Special Collections and Rare Book Librarian, is an organizer of the event. She explained that the showcase is an informal social event, an opportunity to meet others and engage with students and collection materials.

“We want to highlight student work, as they make significant contributions to making collection materials accessible for research, instruction and general interest,” Intrator said.

“We hope the showcase will inspire people to come back, do their own research and explore our collections and opportunities more fully on their own,” Intrator said. “We hope more students will be inspired to apply for internships and other opportunities, and that more faculty will bring in their own classes and students.”

For more information, contact Intrator at intrator@ohio.edu.