Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine, a national traveling exhibition that focuses on Harry Potter's magical world and its connections to Renaissance thinkers, lore and practices, opens at the Galesburg Public Library on June 4, 2010. The exhibit will be on display in the library lobby through July 2 during regular library hours (Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
In conjunction with the exhibit, the library will offer many Harry Potter-themed events exploring science and ethics with real world applications. Programs for all ages are scheduled. Topics include Herbology lessons with Knox College Professor Stuart Allison and University of Illinois Extension Educator Kari Houle; a creative writing workshop with retired English teacher Sheryl Hinman; Fantastic Creatures with Matthew Jones-Rhoades, Knox College Assistant Professor of Biology; a session on classical names with 2008 Latin Teacher of the Year Brian Tibbets; Astronomy with Mark Shroyer, Knox College Assistant Professor of Physics; and Monsters and Marvels in Early Modern Europe with Knox College Professor Lori Haslem. In addition, crafters are invited to create items to be donated to charity in five sessions at the library.
A lecture on June 21 will feature Travis Prinzi, author of the book Harry Potter & Imagination, and a number of book discussions connected to the themes of the exhibit will take place. The first is a discussion of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J. K. Rowling’s book of fairy tales, on May 27 at 6:30 pm. All ages of Harry Potter readers are welcome. The complete program schedule is available on the library website at www.galesburglibrary.org/HarryPotter.html. All events are free.
In 1997, British author J. K. Rowling introduced the world to Harry Potter, and a literary phenomenon was born. Millions of readers have followed Harry to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although a fictional story, the Harry Potter series is partially based on Renaissance traditions that played an important role in the development of Western science, including alchemy, astrology and natural philosophy. Incorporating the work of 15th- and 16th-century thinkers, the Harry Potter books also examine important ethical topics such as the desire for knowledge, the effects of prejudice and the responsibility that comes with power. This exhibition uses materials from the National Library of Medicine to explore Harry Potter's fictional world and its roots in Renaissance science, magic and medicine.
Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine was organized by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. The exhibition tour is coordinated by the American Library Association Public Programs Office, Chicago. The Galesburg Public Library was one of only 12 libraries in the United States selected to receive the exhibit from the American Library Association.
For more information, please stop by the library, call the library Reference Desk at 343-6118, visit www.galesburglibrary.org, or contact reference@galesburglibrary.org.
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