Library Exhibit Depicts La. On Eve Of Civil War

LAFAYETTE - The sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary, of the American Civil War begins in 2011. A new exhibit in the Jefferson Caffery Reading Room at Dupre Library at UL Lafayette examines Louisiana on the eve of that great conflict.

Materials drawn from the holdings of the Louisiana Room, the Rare Books Collection and the University Archives and Acadiana Manuscripts Collections explore the political, economic and cultural situation in the state during the 1850s.

The exhibit features antebellum books, magazines, letters, diaries, drawings and maps as well as more recent publications. Labels provide enlightening explanations of many items on display.

Louisiana Room Librarian Jean Kiesel created the exhibit. “Louisiana on the Eve of the Civil War” will remain on display through January 2011. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For Jefferson Caffery Reading Room hours, call 482-6031.