The Lilly Legacy

In 1925, J.K. Lilly, Jr. took his first steps as a serious collector of books and manuscripts. As we mark the centennial of this journey, IU Libraries Lilly Library presents The Lilly Legacy,  a pair of exhibitions that look at the library’s growth—from the sowing of its seeds to its flourishing under the care and guidance of generations of librarians. 

J. K. Lilly, Jr., Bibliophile: A Collector’s Beginnings

Although J. K. Lilly, Jr. had long been an enthusiastic reader and purchaser of books, it was not until 1925 that Lilly decided to focus his book acquisitions, and to form the remarkable collection of books and manuscripts that he would donate to Indiana University three decades later. This exhibition chronicles Lilly’s book and manuscript collecting from 1925 to 1930, as he met and corresponded with a variety of antiquarian booksellers, made his first serious purchases, and gained the experience and confidence that would guide him in building a collection that would eventually comprise 20,000 printed books and 17,000 manuscripts.

Collecting for the Curious: The Lilly Library Today and Tomorrow

J.K. Lilly Jr.’s greatest gift to Indiana University was his collection of over 20,000 books and 17,000 manuscripts. But his second greatest gift was the gift of freedom—putting no restrictions or stipulations on how his generous gift would be developed into one of the greatest libraries in the world. While respecting and honoring J.K. Lilly Jr.’s collecting values, generations of Lilly Library curators and librarians have expanded the library’s collections in countless unexpected directions. Among its half a million books and over eight million manuscripts, the library holds the world’s largest collections of mechanical puzzles, cookbooks, comic books, and romance fiction.

We don’t know what librarian first said “curiosity is a perfectly good reason to visit the Lilly Library,” but it is a value that every Lilly librarian holds dear. We value access, openness, and the principle that books and manuscripts in their original physical forms should not just be seen but also touched, smelled, and engaged with all the senses. Libraries are places for serious research and scholarship, but they are also places for inspiration, play, wonder, and delight. We believe that these powerful encounters with rare books and manuscripts—and, more importantly, the lives contained within them—should not be reserved for the elite and privileged. When collecting today, we are inspired by the collectors of the past to ask “what should we save for those who will be curious tomorrow?”

The Lilly Legacy is on exhibit from August 18 to December 19, 2025 in the Lilly Library’s North gallery.

J. K. Lilly, Jr., Bibliophile: A Collector’s Beginnings was curated by Library Director Joel Silver. Collecting for the Curious: The Lilly Library Today and Tomorrow was curated by Head of Curation, Rebecca Baumann, with Lilly librarians Erin Chiparo and Sarah McElroy Mitchell.

Exhibition design by Lilly Library team members Jim Canary, Coley Gillespie, and Jenny Mack (with assistance from Aveyah Craver). Graphic design by David Orr.