After a two-year wait, the Harry Potter exhibit from the National Library of Medicine has finally arrived at SUNY-ESF.

“Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine,” a traveling exhibit sponsored by the National Library of Medicine, is on display at Moon Library on the campus of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry until Feb. 28. Harry Potter is a best-selling children’s book series by author J.K. Rowling. The exhibit, which stands at the front of Moon Library, is comprised of six large posters with information about the world of Harry Potter that students are encouraged to explore. It first went on display in Moon Library last Monday.

Jessica Clemons, the senior assistant librarian at SUNY-ESF, heard about this exhibit when the institution she worked at previously had considered applying for the exhibit. The National Library of Medicine has several exhibits and it puts together a package and uses primary resources from its collection to try to make it culturally relevant.

“They design the poster and they have educational resources available online,” Clemons said. “I was looking at it and thinking: ‘I really like Harry Potter, I know a lot of students really like Harry Potter and it would be nice to have something different in the library.’”

Megan Ewald, a senior environmental policy planning and law major who works at the desk in the library, is one of many students who is excited by the exhibit. She said she has seen students walk in and be surprised and excited by the exhibit, walking all the way around it and reading everything.

“Are you kidding me? I think I read the first Harry Potter book in first grade,” said Ewald. “We all grew up with Harry Potter, and I think people this age are still kids because who doesn’t want to go to Hogwarts?”

Clemons said the National Library of Medicine has about five different Harry Potter exhibits that travel around the U.S.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the library has created a complementary book exhibit that highlights some of the scientific aspects of the fictional world.

Clemons said there is a literature tie that’s more associated with public libraries, but the exhibit at Moon Library is meant to be more academic and use primary sources. The books talk about fantastic beasts and Moon Library has an impressive zoology collection, she said. While the library does not have many Harry Potter books themselves, the exhibit manages to tie in the academic aspect of the world of Harry Potter by allowing students to learn more about owls or herbology.

Since the exhibit will only be on the SUNY-ESF campus until the end of February, the library plans to make full use of the new attraction. On Feb. 13, there will be a Harry Potter themed night, which will include trivia games and food.

“We’re going to talk about Harry Potter, talk about trivia — and just reinforce that the library is a place to help them have fun,” Clemons said. “It’s nice to just be engaging, even if it’s in a non-scholarly way.”

The library has been reaching out to students, such as the alchemist club and the school’s Quidditch team in order to encourage the idea that the library can act as a bridge for students, helping them to do their research and also have fun.

“It is interesting just looking at how far science has come,” Clemons said. “There are drawings of mermaids from the 17th century. Obviously we are not studying mermaids at ESF but it’s just trying to highlight some of the work we do and have a little fun.”

Published on January 26, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact Anjali: acalwis@syr.edu