Views of the Natural World in Chinese and Japanese Prints - Until August 22nd, 2025
Rare Books and Special Collections at McGill Libraries holds an important number of Japanese woodblock prints, including many works by renowned Ukiyo-e artist, Katsushika Hokusai. Although many famous Hokusai prints focus on vivid depictions of human life in bustling urban settings, McGill’s collection also includes many works depicting elements of the natural world of evident interest to the artist and of great and enduring importance for Japanese culture.
Views of the Natural World in Chinese and Japanese Prints draws inspiration from Hokusai as well as other prominent Ukiyo-e artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige. The display presents key visual themes in Hokusai’s nature-focused works—such as Mount Fuji, birds, and the sea— in conjunction with pieces by Japanese and Chinese artists who similarly celebrated the beauty, power, and cultural symbolism of nature. Spanning from the 17th to the 21st centuries, the works on display depict people in nature, mountains, landscapes, sea life, plants, flowers, birds, and even mythological creatures.
Where to find this exhibit
This exhibit is located in the McLennan Library Building on the fourth floor lobby.
2024 Alcuin Society Awards - Until August 25th, 2025
The Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada is the only national competition for top achievements in book design and book production. The winning books are exhibited in a travelling show hosted by Canadian libraries and cultural organisations across the country. They are exhibited at the Frankfurt Bookfair and the Leipzig Bookfair and entered in the Siftung Buchkunst’s international book design competition "Best Book Design from all over the World" held in Germany.
The first Alcuin book design competition was held in 1981. It encourages Canadian publishers to pay closer attention to material qualities of book design in all of its aspects: from binding and paper quality to choice of type and illustration, to excellence in printing. The McGill Libraries are proud to partner with the Alcuin Society located in Vancouver, British Columbia, with the goal of promoting a wider appreciation of beautifully produced books in Canada.
Where to find this exhibit
This exhibit is located in the McLennan Library Building on the fourth floor Rare Books and Special Collections Reading Room.
Book, Jacket, and Journal Show in collaboration with AUP - Until September 7th, 2025
Since its launch in 1965, the Book, Jacket, and Journal Show—sponsored by the Association of University Presses —has served a dual purpose: to honour and instruct. This annual juried exhibition showcases excellence in design, production, and manufacturing from across the university press community. Each autumn, a call for entries invites submissions from member presses worldwide, and in 2023–2024, the competition received 507 entries spanning diverse categories, including Scholarly Typographic, Trade Illustrated, Poetry and Literature, Journals, and Reference.
The Book, Jacket, and Journal Show offers a rare look at the creative craft behind scholarly communication, celebrating the intersection of visual artistry and intellectual rigour. This traveling exhibit continues to inspire designers, publishers, and readers alike, affirming the vital role design plays in shaping how we engage with ideas.
Where to find this exhibit
This exhibit is located in the McLennan Library Building on the main floor.
Percussion at McGill - Until October 3rd, 2025
Percussion holds in tension several seemingly opposite qualities: it is steeped in tradition, yet incredibly innovative; it is one of the oldest musical practices as well as one of the most contemporary; it can comprise a single instrument or dozens, played by one or many. But its capacity for creating connection and fostering community is especially noteworthy, and one that this exhibit seeks to celebrate.
Percussion at McGill surveys the history and current practices of the McGill percussion ensembles. It features scores, books, and audiovisual materials from the Marvin Duchow Music Library in addition to photographs, instruments, posters, and other materials provided by the Percussion Area. The exhibit also draws on manuscript scores, sketches, correspondence, and photographs from the Pierre Béluse Fonds, held by the Music Library. The Pierre Béluse Fonds contains a wealth of archival materials that attest to the growing vibrancy of percussion music from the Montreal scene to the international stage (1960s-2010s).
Where to find this exhibit
This exhibit is located in the in the Marvin Duchow Music Library on the third floor.
ouch ouch ouch - Until October 15th, 2025
This exhibit is supported by the Michele Larose – Osler Library Artist-in-Residence award. The award is given annually to one or more deserving candidates with a degree in Studio Arts or a related field and/or a history of exhibiting artistic work in professional venues.
Ouch ouch ouch will debut an artist book of speculative illness morphologies, based on a collection of sensation maps assembled through a daily practice of body scan meditation. Alongside the internal phenomena of pain, a series of gestures representing the duration of the residency (or a single very long, very painful moment) explores the non-linear, dilatory, and atemporal nature of illness.
Where to find this exhibit
This exhibit is located in the Osler Library of the History of Medicine on the third floor.
Church, Congregational, and Community Cookbooks - Until December 15th, 2025
This exhibition offers glimpses into three religious traditions and the fellowship and food shared by congregations across Montreal and Canada. Understanding these cookbooks requires an insider’s perspective to appreciate the binding ties of relationships, faith, and friendship among the contributors. While this connection is inherent within the creating community, what happens when these books move beyond their original places and people?
Library collections, like those at »ÆƬÀóÖ¦ÊÓƵ’s Rare Books and Special Collections, house countless examples of such cookbooks that are now far from their origins. Although separated from their roots by time and distance, these books still tell stories of connection and fellowship. However, without an insider’s perspective, these clues are harder to trace.
Where to find this exhibit
This exhibit is located in the Birks Reading Room.
No Fixed Address: Homelessness & the Law - Until December 15th, 2025
The new exhibit, No Fixed Address: Homelessness & the Law, located on the main floor of the Nahum Gelber Law Library, presents resources related to homelessness and housing issues, particularly within the context of housing laws. Alongside these materials, photographs depicting the harsh realities of homelessness are displayed, paired with poignant quotes from newspapers highlighting the profound struggle of living without a place to call home. The photographs evoke a deep sense of isolation, shame and longing, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of those without permanent shelter.
Additionally, the exhibit features documents that highlight the critical importance of legal intervention. As future legal professionals, law students are uniquely positioned to advocate for significant change within the city. By engaging in these issues and working towards more effective and equitable housing laws, they have the opportunity to shape Montreal’s future, ensuring that every resident has access to safe and stable housing, and that all Montrealers are afforded the dignity of a permanent address.
Where to find this exhibit
This exhibit is located in the Nahum Gelber Law Library first floor.