From the library’s foyer, visitors enter directly into the North Gallery, the largest exhibition space in the building. Two exhibitions per year are presented in this space, which also presents Audubon’s Birds of America on permanent display. As part of the 2020–2021 renovation, both the North and South Galleries were completely refurbished with all new exhibition cases, new or expanded in-wall display cases, and convenient seating throughout.  

The Lilly Library’s most famous book is on display in the South Gallery: a Gutenberg Bible, New Testament volume, printed in about 1455. Other exhibition cases may hold an extension of the North Gallery exhibition or a separate exhibition entirely. This room was formerly known as the Lincoln Room and its south wall still holds books from the library’s large collection of books related to our country’s sixteenth president. Learn more about the Lincoln Collection.

One of the library’s most versatile rooms, the Slocum Room is a teaching space, hosts a revolving exhibition of new acquisitions, and features a permanent exhibition of mechanical puzzles. The library holds more than 36,000 mechanical puzzles thanks to collector and donor Jerry Slocum. Perhaps the most well known such puzzle is the Rubik’s Cube, but the collection contains examples of many other types, from all over the world. Learn more about the Slocum Collection. 

The A. J. W. Le Bien Room is named for the father of Lilly Library donor Robert Le Bien. Its western décor is courtesy of its previous incarnation as the Ellison Room, home to a portion of the Ellison Collection of books about the American west. This seminar room features a table from the original IU Main Library which was refinished during the renovation.

This room is one of the library’s smallest but most attractive rooms. Its warm cabinetry  has graced many photographs of campus leaders, library staff, and others. Named for collector Elisabeth Ball, whose collection of children’s books came to the Lilly Library in 1980's, it is a favorite space for Lilly librarians to meet with donors, faculty, reporters, or each other. Learn more about the Ball Collection.

Video conferencing technology in the Wordsworth Room makes it a favorite place for staff to join online meetings. The camera often widens its view to include the bust of poet William Wordsworth by Sir Francis Chantrey in the meeting. The room’s name honors the gift of the Wordsworth Collection made by Oscar L. Watkins in honor of his son Osric Mills Watkins who died in World War I.

Murals by artist Ralph Gilbert enliven this room where researchers work individually with books and manuscripts. The murals feature people and topics related to the library’s collections. About half of researchers visiting the Reading Room are local. The rest travel to Bloomington to use the world-class collections available at the Lilly Library. Learn more about the murals or about making an appointment to use the Reading Room. 

The 2020–2021 renovation did not expand the library footprint, but the architect was able to find space to add this room. Formerly part of a large machine room with furnace, air handlers and so on, the room is now a large and flexible space. It can hold 90 people for a lecture or 35 students for a class visit. It is also home to a 19th century iron handpress and a reproduction 17th century wooden handpress. 

The Lilly Library Reading Room is open to anyone curious about the collections. But for security reasons, we ask that users leave their coats and bags in a locker. Adjacent to the locker area is an accessible restroom, and an elevator providing access to an upstairs study space, additional bathrooms, and the lecture hall.