The Campus Library exhibition the “Emma Lazarus: Voice of Liberty, Voice of Conscience” will be on display through October 14. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The exhibit hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays.

Emma Lazarus was a fourth-generation American from a prominent Jewish family in New York City, a poet, critic, advocate for the poor, early feminist, and champion of immigrants and refugees. The iconic words of her poem, “The New Colossus,” are engraved on a plaque now located in the Statue of Liberty Museum: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

IU East faculty, representing the disciplines of English, communication, history, philosophy and political science, will connect course content with the exhibit theme of America, immigration, and religious freedom.

This exhibit, curated by Lazarus biographer Esther Schor, Princeton University, traces Lazarus’ life, intellectual development, work, and lasting influence. IU East is one of 18 libraries nationwide to host this exhibit in 2011.

In coordination with the exhibit, Susan E. King will be in character as Emma Lazarus for her presentation, “Emma: a One Woman Show by Sue King,” from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20, Campus Library Atrium. This event is also free and open to the public.

King holds a dual master’s degree in Library Science and Public History from IUPUI.  She has been the Archivist at Morrisson-Reeves Library since 2002. She has worked extensively with the Wayne County Historical Museum, serving as a board member, docent, and the organizer of the annual walking tour of Earlham Cemetery: “Tales From the Departed.”  She has written an article for the Indiana Historical Society’s magazine and her book, Richmond, about the town’s history, is part of the Postcard History Series from Arcadia Publishing.

“Emma Lazarus: Voice of Liberty, Voice of Conscience” was developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture, and ideas, and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The national tour of the exhibit has been made possible by grants from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Righteous Persons Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, and an anonymous donor, with additional support from Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life.

For additional information, contact IU East Library Director Frances Yates at (765) 973-8470 or email fyates@iue.edu. Resource information is available at iue.libguides.com/Voices.