Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery
The American Library Association (ALA), in cooperation with the Space Telescope Science Institute
(STScI) Office of Public Outreach, Baltimore, Maryland, and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), Cambridge, Massachusetts, invited public libraries to apply for a national tour to 40 sites of “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery,” a traveling exhibition to mark the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) in 2009. The exhibit will travel from January 2009 through December 2010.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has provided major funding for the exhibit. Exhibit sponsors were especially interested in receiving applications from public libraries in small towns and rural areas that have limited access to NASA resources, as well as from public libraries in larger population centers. All libraries on the tour receive $500 programming support stipends and $250 collection development stipends.
The STScI Office of Public Outreach (OPO) is a world leader in astronomy presentation through news media, websites, planetarium shows, museum exhibits, curriculum support materials, professional development and other educational resources. Among the award-winning web sites created by OPO are “Hubblesite” and “Amazing Space.”
The Space Telescope Science Institute website for the “Visions of the Universe” library tour can be found at http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/visions/
This page brought to you by the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office.
Press Releases
- 40 libraries to host “Visions of the Universe” traveling exhibit (11/25/08)
- New traveling exhibit brings space exploration to public libraries (7/15/08)
Related Links
- selected libraries
- tour itinerary
- online site support notebook—for hosting libraries only