This fall, Denison's William Howard Doane Library is hosting an exhibition of rare books and documents on loan from The Remnant Trust, Inc. The Remnant Trust is a public educational foundation that encourages learning by enabling people to view and actually touch early editions of important works on human rights and liberty. Based in Hagerstown, Ind., the foundation loans parts of its collection so that students, faculty and the public may view and handle treasures, such as early and rare printings of the Bill of Rights and Plato's "Republic."

"Magna Carta," c.1350, illuminated Latin manuscript on parchment

The collection offers a "hands-on" experience with great texts that have shaped our world, as well as a chance to enjoy beautiful book designs. Faculty members will be able to schedule time for their classes to examine the collection and community members may ask a reference librarian for access to the texts when they visit.

Fifty-six works will be exhibited in the Learning Commons area on the library's main level. Among the titles being exhibited at Denison are: a third edition of the Declaration of Independence (1776), a bound, illuminated Latin manuscript on parchment of the Magna Carta (c 1350), the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln in its first book printing (1863), a first edition of "The Federalist" (1788), the first English edition of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" (1776), a 1770 print of the Boston Massacre, a second edition of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" (1869), one of three known copies in the world of Thomas Aquinas' "Summa Theologiae, Pars Secunda" in Latin (1475), and Aristotle's "Complete Works," also in Latin (1496).

Several special events are planned during the semester while the exhibit is at Denison. President Knobel will give a lecture on "The Birth and Rebirth of the United States: Thomas Paine's Common Sense and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address" at 7:30 p.m. on Monday (Sept. 24) in the Great Room of the Granville Inn (314 E. Broadway). A second public lecture, by Professor Tony Lisska, department of philosophy, and Associate Professor Fred Porcheddu, department of English, on "Saints and Sinners: Maidens and Monsters, Philosophy and Phlogiston: Medieval Texts and Their Influence" is set for 7:30 p.m. on Monday (Oct. 29), also at the Granville Inn. Professor Emmett Buell, department of political science, will speak on "The Federalist Papers: Insights into the Minds of the Framers" at a faculty luncheon on Tuesday (Oct. 16). Constitution Day (Sept. 17) and Parents' Weekend (Oct. 6) also will see events featuring the collection.

The Denison exhibition also will include some related texts from the Doane Library's special collections. These texts will be housed in a separate display case near the administrative offices.

For more detailed information on the Remnant Trust at Denison, including a comprehensive document list, please visit the provost's Remnant Trust Web site at www.denison.edu/offices/provost/remnanttrust/

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About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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