Blogs

By Michele Jennings

With a new audio tour available online, the Marian Library’s popular annual Nativity exhibit is now available at any hour, any day, anywhere in the world.

The audio tour features recorded descriptions and photos of selected works, including the permanently displayed “Mirror of Hope”; Nativities from Mexico, Malawi, and Nigeria; and Nativities constructed with a broad range of natural materials, from banana leaves to bread dough. Available as an app or in a web browser, it mirrors the organization and educational content of the 2023-24 exhibit, Nativities in the Natural World, which celebrates the 800th anniversary of the first Nativity scene and highlights Pope Francis’ recent encyclicals on the environment and the meaning and importance of the Nativity scene.

The Nativity exhibit has been a beloved tradition for UD and the Dayton community for well over a quarter century; the audio option reflects the Marian Library staff’s continuing efforts to discover new ways to make the exhibit more accessible and interactive.

See the exhibit in person

The in-person exhibit is open until Jan. 12, and the Marian Library reopens on Jan. 2. Check the Libraries website for exhibit hours.

— Michele Jennings is a visiting librarian and archivist in the Marian Library.