It's hard to miss the giant book on display in the Harold T. Clark Library. The Birds of America, by John James Audubon, is not only the largest book in the Library, it is a world-renowned treasure. The four-volume set is one of only 119 complete sets in the world. To read more about Audubon's masterpiece, click here.
We turn the page every couple of months in order to protect the paintings from light, and also to showcase the illustrations in this magnificent book. It takes at least four people to turn the page! Two people hold up the heavy glass lid of the display case, while two others (wearing white cotton gloves) very carefully turn the pages. Each volume weighs close to 50 pounds, so it takes two people to lift the volume from the display case and swap it with one of the remaining three volumes that are stored on shelves below the display area. We cannot display every one of the 435 paintings in the set, because some of the paintings are oriented horizontally. The current page on display is a very exciting scene showing three nighthawks:
Watch this space for updates in the ongoing drama of "As the Page Turns!"