Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) exhibits are a way to share unique and interesting stories from our collections with everyone. Our exhibit spaces in Parks Library are located on the first floor to the west of the Main Desk in front of the Fireplace Reading Room (191 Parks Library) and on the fourth floor of Parks Library, leading up to and inside our Reading Room (403 Parks Library). We also curate digital exhibits to expand the reach of our collections beyond the library.

For more information about our exhibits, contact us.

Current exhibits 

 

  • Sony cassette case with vintage photo of a child visible through the viewing window.

    First Floor

    Snapshots of the Past: Staff Selections of Photographs from Special Collections and University Archives

    SCUA has over one million images throughout its collections. This exhibit features a small selection from across the collections by SCUA staff members. Images that delight, intrigue, make us laugh, or make us ask, "What is going on here?"

  • Ed Mezvinsky, center, conferring with other members of the House Judiciary Committee.

    Outside the Reading Room

    “A clean bill of health or a bill of impeachment”: Watergate, Judiciary Committee, and Congressman Mezvinsky

    This exhibition marks fifty years since the ending of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment inquiry investigating President Nixon’s role in the Watergate scandal. Edward M. Mezvinsky was an Iowa congressman who served on the Judiciary Committee during that time.  This exhibition highlights impeachment inquiry procedures, constituent feelings about impeachment, Mezvinsky’s work related to Nixon’s tax scandal, and Ford’s pardoning of Nixon. Some documents from the Judiciary Committee that have been closed for 50 years following internal rules of the U.S. House are featured in this exhibition.

     

  • Image of a round hay bale.

    Inside the Reading Room

    Archives Informing Art: Special Collections and University Archives Artifacts Represented in Hive Mind

    This exhibit showcases SCUA artifacts and related contextual materials that glass artist and sculptor Beth Lipman used as inspiration for the sculpture Hive Mind, which was installed in the Anderson Sculpture Garden on central campus in summer 2025. Hive Mind is a site-specific work of art representing the research and innovations, impact, and social history of Iowa State.

Featured digital exhibit 

The Heart of the University: Parks Library Centennial

100 years of Parks Library. This exhibit traces the library’s history, from its original home in the Main Building through several moves up to its current home in Parks Library in 1925.

Past digital exhibits

Special Collections and University Archives has been curating digital exhibits since 1998. Using the internet to highlight our collections allows us to share stories from our collections across the world.

Graphic for the "A Home Away from Home: The George A. Jackson Black Cultural Center" exhibition
"Activist Agriculture: Farm Protest in Iowa, 1929-1969" exhibition graphic featuring articles and images clippings from old newspapers.
"We are ISU: Snapshots of Student Life" exhibition graphic featuring black and white images of parades and group photos of ISU community

Exhibits around campus

  • Image of Dr. Atanasoff next to the Atanasoff Hall sign at Iowa State University.

    Durham Center: Penthouse

    John Vincent Atanasoff Office Display 

    On the penthouse level of Durham Center, Special Collections and University Archives has recreated Atanasoff's office setup with artifacts from the John Vincent Atanasoff papers and artifact collection.

  • A display case filled with Iowa State University athletic memorabilia, including photos, documents, and other ephemera.

    Hilton Coliseum

    Historic Hilton Snapshots

    Near seating section 122 in Hilton Coliseum, Special Collections and University Archives has curated an exhibit exploring the rich history of the five sports that call Hilton Coliseum home: women's gymnastics, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and wrestling.

Curate an exhibit with us

Interested in collaborating with us on an exhibit in SCUA or online? Learn more about exhibiting with us. 

Exhibit loans

Interested in exhibiting SCUA's materials in your space? We recommend reading our Exhibit Loan Policy before reaching out to us at archives@iastate.edu a year in advance. 

Please note that a completed Exhibit Loan Agreement form will be required and will be provided to you.