The John M. Kelly Library supports an Exhibition Program that seeks to directly engage with the larger University community to support active learning and critical inquiry through primary sources. Exhibitions are regularly curated by members of the University of St. Michael’s College community, including students, librarians, faculty, and staff, as well as members of other organizations.
Items on display are most often drawn from the library’s own rich holdings, including from our rare book and archival special collections. Support for the Exhibition Program is generously provided by the University of St. Michael’s College and the Friends of the Kelly Library.
All exhibitions are hosted in the library’s ground floor exhibition area unless otherwise stated. This is an accessible space and is open during regular library hours.
Current Exhibition
The University of St. Michael’s College: 171 Years
Since 1852, St. Michael’s College has been a centre of learning in Toronto. The classes and programs have changed over time but student life has, in many ways, stayed much the same. Students have represented SMC in sports, they have lived in the dorms and eaten in the cafeterias, attended dances, and they have excelled academically. This exhibit will serve as a brief glimpse at the history of student life at St. Michael’s College over the past 171 years.
This exhibit showcases memorabilia that represent just some of the aspects of student life at St. Mike’s: achievements in sports, fun at dances, and the joy in performing for fellow students. The back wall also features the graduation portraits from 101 years ago, 60 years ago, 50 years ago, and 25 years ago. All exhibited materials come from the University of St. Michael’s College Archives. Many of these materials have been donated to the University Archives by alumni and friends of the University.
The University of St. Michael’s College: 171 Years can be seen on the ground floor of the John M. Kelly Library.
Acknowledgements
The University of St. Michael’s College: 171 Years was curated and installed by Jessica Barr, University Archivist and Records Manager, USMC, with design and exhibition photography by Sheila Eaton, Digital and Graphic Design Manager, USMC.
Ongoing Online Exhibitions
100 Years of Women’s Education at St. Michael’s College
For more than 100 years, women have made their mark at the University of St. Michael’s College. Whether as students, professors, or staff, women have offered deep and lasting contributions to St. Mike’s. Women’s religious communities opened the college doors for female students more than 100 years ago, with the arrival of the Loretto Sisters and the Sisters of St. Joseph as professors and advocates for women’s higher education. Through archival materials and historical accounts, this online exhibition celebrates how these two religious communities changed the face of St. Michael’s.
The full exhibition can be viewed here.
Acknowledgements
Materials for the 100 Years of Women’s Education at St. Michael’s College online exhibition, initially published in 2011, was coordinated by Michael Bramah, Head of Technical Services, and assisted by Connie Lewin, Cataloguing Technician, for the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) archives. Text and images supplied by Linda Wicks, archivist for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto (CSJT), and Sr. Juliana Dusel, IBVM, along with Michelle Anitra Pariag, archivists for the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loretto Sisters), Canadian Province. Website and graphic design by Sheila Eaton, Digital and Graphic Design Manager, USMC.