EIU Media Relations

Booth Library exhibit at EIU celebrates history of space exploration

(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University’s Booth Library will commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the moon landing, as well as examine current and future space exploration, in a new exhibit, “On the Shoulders of Giants: The Moon and Beyond.” The exhibit will be on display through May 31.

“On the Shoulders of Giants” will include a look at several of the Apollo missions, with a focus on Apollo 11, the lunar landing of July 20, 1969; EIU alumni connections to the space program; biographies of specific astronauts; space exploration today and in the future; female contributions to space exploration; and more.

An opening program to kick off the exhibit is planned at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 24 in the library’s West Reading Room. The event will feature the debut of the documentary “To the Moon and Back: An Oral History of the Lunar Landing.” The one-hour film features several local residents sharing their memories of the moon landing 50 years ago.

The film is the result of a collaboration between Booth Library, WEIU-TV and the EIU History Department. WEIU-TV will air the film at 8 p.m. Tuesday, February 5.

The exhibit and the opening program are free and open to the public. Additional programs related to the exhibit are being planned. For more information, visit the exhibit web site, https://library.eiu.edu/exhibits/space; or follow Booth Library on Facebook or Twitter.

Schools and other groups who would like to tour the exhibit are encouraged to contact Andy Cougill via email at aacougill@eiu.edu, or call (217) 581-6072 to schedule a visit.

Booth Library’s regular hours are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 1 a.m. Sunday.

For more information about EIU, or to learn more about its growing assortment of programs and services, visit the university’s website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.