ALA
Georgia Southern’s Henderson Library selected to host ‘Americans and the Holocaust’ traveling exhibit
Georgia Southern University’s Zach S. Henderson Library is one of 50 U.S. libraries selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.
The touring library exhibition — based on the special exhibition of the same name at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. — will travel to U.S. libraries from 2020 to 2022.
“We are so proud to be selected from a pool of more than 250 applicants to host this important and powerful exhibition,” said Lisa Carmichael, Ph.D., Dean of Libraries at Georgia Southern University. “We encourage community members to come explore it, and we’re excited to be partnering with local organizations, as well. The exhibition will challenge people to not only ask ‘what would I have done?’ but also, ‘what will I do?’”
Americans and the Holocaust will be on display at Henderson Library on Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro Campus, along with a series of related special events on both campuses from Feb. 1 to March 11. The community opening and reception will take place on Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in Henderson Library.
Based on extensive new research of that period, Americans and the Holocaust addresses important themes in American history, exploring the many factors, including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism, that influenced decisions made by the U.S. government, the news media, organizations and individuals as they responded to Nazism. This exhibition will challenge the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded.
Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and 1940s, the exhibition focuses on the stories of individuals and groups of Americans who took action in response to Nazism. It will challenge visitors to consider the responsibilities and obstacles faced by individuals — from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to ordinary Americans — who made difficult choices, sought to effect change and, in a few cases, took significant risks to help victims of Nazism even as rescue never became a government priority.
In addition to the traveling exhibition on loan, Henderson Library received a cash grant to support public programs. The grant also covered one library staff member’s attendance at an orientation workshop at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
More information about the exhibition, guided tours, and related programming can be found at georgiasouthern.libguides.com/aath.
Georgia Southern University Libraries receive “Americans and the Holocaust” grant from USHMM and ALA
Zach S. Henderson Library (Georgia Southern University Libraries) was recently selected as one of 50 libraries to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.
Based on extensive new research of that period, Americans and the Holocaust addresses important themes in American history, exploring the many factors — including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism — that influenced decisions made by the U.S. government, the news media, organizations and individuals as they responded to Nazism. This exhibition will challenge the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded.
The touring library exhibition — based on the special exhibition of the same name at the Museum in Washington, D.C. — will travel to U.S. libraries from 2020 to 2022. Americans and the Holocaust will be on display at Zach S. Henderson Library on the Statesboro campus, along with a series of related special programs on the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses, from January to March 2022.
In addition to the traveling exhibition, Georgia Southern University Libraries will receive a cash grant to support public programs, led by Autumn M. Johnson, Special Collections Librarian, and Nikki Cannon-Rech, Research Services Librarian. Johnson, as principal investigator, will travel to Washington, D.C. in January for an orientation workshop at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
To learn more about the exhibition, visit ushmm.org/americans-ala.
About the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires leaders and citizens worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. The Museum’s far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit ushmm.org.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.