Exhibits and projects: Special Collections and Rare Books

On this page

 Physical exhibits

Special Collections and Rare Books welcomes visitors to view our physical exhibits throughout the year, presented in flat cases at the entrance of Special Collections reading room and in vitrines on the third floor of WAC Bennett Library.

Admission is always free.

What’s on at W.A.C. Bennett Library (SFU Burnaby)

 3rd floor (entry level)

Live from Athens: Treasures from the McDonald Hellenic Collection

This exhibit showcases some highlights from the McDonald Hellenic Collection, which provides vital firsthand information about Greece, Cyprus, and beyond during a remarkably eventful period in history. A selection of the archive’s most noteworthy and interesting artifacts are on display here.

April - August 2025

 7th floor (outside SCRB)

Biblio Ballard: Selections from the McGrath Collection

The exhibit displays a number of choice selections from the McGrath collection, including several of the author's rarest first editions, notably the seldom encountered first American edition of The Atrocity Exhibition (1970), as well as memorabilia and archival material.   

Extended until the end of May 2025

 

Previous exhibits

Learn about past exhibits curated by SCRB staff, as well as faculty and students in the SFU community.

 Online exhibits and projects

Explore our online exhibits, featured digital and digitized collections, and ongoing projects featuring the rare and unique materials from the holdings of Special Collections and Rare Books.

Archives of Lesbian Oral Testimony Web Archives
Oral histories, testimonies, and stories from same-sex + same-gender attracted women.
Arjan Singh Brar Collection (Komagata Maru)
Chronicling the history of South Asians in Vancouver.
Blair Henshaw HIV/AIDS Philatelic Collection
Stamps, post cards, and more from the stamp collector and AIDS activist.
Canadian Farmworkers Union Project
Collective action and farmworker advocacy from the 1970s to the 2000s.
Canadian Union of Public Employees BC Historical Collection
History, advocacy, and collective action of British Columbia's largest labour union, CUPE BC.
Dispatches from the Poetry Wars Web Archive
Interactive web archive of the lively and often contentious literary site.
Fisherman Publishing Society Fonds
Nearly 45,000 photographs from the biweekly labour newspaper.
Force Four Entertainment Collection
Scripts, films, and tapes from of the Vancouver-based production company.
Gerry Gilbert radiofreerainforest Collection
A weekly art literary broadcast during the 1980s and 1990s.
Gordon E. McCaw Photograph Collections
Photos of the local punk rock scene and street art in Vancouver.
Grace McCarthy Scrapbook Collection
A snapshot of the MLA’s political career and contributions.
Harrison Brown Collection
Brown's photos from Scandinavia, the USSR, Japan, Korea, and China, 1936-37.
Judith Marcuse Dance Collection
Documenting Marcuse's career and changing ideas about the role of dance and art.
Lake District Collection
Travel guides, maps, rare postcards, and other items by and about William Wordsworth.
Looking For Oneself Web Archive
Internet anthology of Ralph Maud's periodical, “Minutes of the Charles Olson Society."
Pacific Tribune Photograph Collection
More than 40,000 images covering one of the most active periods in B.C. labour history.
Perry Giguere "Perry the Poster Man" Collection
Over 800 posters for cultural, social, and political activities in Vancouver, 1980–2015.
Richard Harwood (Dick) Chambers Alpine Photograph Collection
Mountaineering culture and local mountains, late 1940s–1960s.
Robert Coupe William Morris Collection
Extensive collection of rare books, pamphlets, and other items by and about William Morris.
SpokenWeb Project at SFU
Literary sound recordings in our Contemporary Literature Collection, 1960s to present.
Unarchiving the Margins Collection
Literary audio tapes of women, queer writers, and writers of colour.
Vancouver Punk Collection
Digitized posters, LPs, 45s, zines and periodicals, ephemera, and photographs.
Wosk-McDonald Aldine Collection
The life and work of editor, printer, and publisher Aldus Manutius (1452-1515).