Library of Congress' rolling exhibition on road to Monroe | The News Star | thenewsstar.com

The Library of Congress' "Gateway to Knowledge" rolling exhibition will bring pieces of American history to Monroe later this week.

The exhibition, which features several museum-style exhibits and displays, will be at the Ouachita Parish Public Library's main branch at 1800 Stubbs Ave., Monroe, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The rolling exhibition is free.

Some of the nation's treasures that will be on display in the specially outfitted 18-wheeler includes facsimiles of the 1507 Waldseemüller Map — the first document to use the word "America"; the 1455 Gutenberg Bible; the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence — handwritten by Thomas Jefferson with edits by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams; the 1962 drawings for the comic book that introduced Spider-Man to the world; the handwritten manuscript to jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton's "Frog-i-More Rag"; and Walt Whitman's poem "Leaves of Grass."

"For many people, this will be the closest they will get to the actual Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., without actually going there," said Library Director Robin Toms. "Particularly with children, these are things they can see up close that they have talked about in school."

The specially designed trailer expands to three times its road width. Visitors enter from a central staircase to find several areas of museum-style exhibits including a welcoming multimedia display,computer terminals displaying Library of Congress websites, including the Center for the Book/Literacy Programs and websites pertaining to U.S. collections, exhibitions and a special website for use by teachers.

The exhibition also will outline the history of the Library of Congress, including Thomas Jefferson's role in allowing its re-establishment following the burning of the U.S. Capitol in 1814 by providing his personal book collection to the nation.

Larry Foreman, head of the parish library's genealogy and special collections department, said the library is working on a scavenger hunt for middle-school students during the exhibit.

"It's a prearranged scavenger hunt for kids to find certain items within the exhibit," Foreman said. "By participating in the scavenger hunt, they learn what's in the exhibit."

The traveling exhibit began touring the nation late last year. Monroe is the only location in northern Louisiana it will visit before traveling to New Orleans later this month.