The Lilly Library at Indiana University Bloomington has received a $2.5 million grant to endow a new cataloger of religious materials and support a traveling exhibition. This is the second phase of funding from Lilly Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, following an earlier $2.5 million grant that created the position of curator of religious collections at the library.
The newly endowed cataloger will be responsible for expanding access to rare religious texts, manuscripts, and artifacts in the library’s collection. The position aims to make these resources more visible beyond academic circles.
“Special collections catalogers describe library materials so that people know they exist,” said Diane Dallis-Comentale, Ruth Lilly Dean of Indiana University Libraries. “Without online records, items of major relevance to a multitude of religious traditions are physically protected but remain generally unknown. We are so grateful for this grant, which supplies the talent necessary to bring these extraordinary literary and spiritual artifacts to life.”
The Lilly Library serves as Indiana University’s main repository for rare books and special collections, including significant religious works such as the New Testament of the Gutenberg Bible. Its holdings span over 1,000 years and represent diverse faith traditions worldwide.
IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold commented on the significance of the funding: “The Lilly Library and its collections are a gem of IU Bloomington and a point of great pride. Important work is carried out there by the staff and faculty, which plays a vital role in the academic and cultural life of our campus.
“This funding will strengthen the library’s mission to preserve significant materials that represent the pinnacle of human thought across history. This gift is a commitment to ensure these resources remain accessible to scholars and the public for generations to come. We are very grateful.”
Admission to Lilly Library remains free, with collections open both to students and members of the public who wish to learn about how religion has been documented through history.
Joel Silver, director of Lilly Library, noted: “The religious materials held at the Lilly Library comprise a remarkable resource for the residents of Indiana, and also for the world at large. They have been assembled and preserved by Indiana University for more than a century. The cataloger of religious materials will ensure that accurate and detailed information about the library’s holdings will be available to all, and we are immensely grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for providing the support to make this position possible.”
The first phase funded Sarah McElroy Mitchell as curator of religious collections at Lilly Library; she has worked on exhibitions such as “Receding Horizons: A Celebration of Astronomy at Lilly Library” during 2024’s total eclipse, as well as “Love in the Library: The Romance Novel in English.” Mitchell plans an exhibition on religious pilgrimage in fall 2027 that will travel thanks to this new funding.
“I have been building toward a major exhibition for fall 2027 that will focus on the topic of religious pilgrimage,” Mitchell said. “Pilgrimage spans numerous religious traditions, which will allow us to highlight many stories and to honor the different motivations and experiences of pilgrims.”
Mitchell has also collaborated with university faculty so that rare manuscripts can be integrated into classroom instruction.
Amy Tims will lead recruitment for this new cataloger role. As head of cataloging at Lily Library she explained: “This position is particularly exciting because establishing an endowed cataloging role with grant funding is a rare and significant accomplishment,” she said. “Without catalogers and archivists creating accurate descriptions, materials can’t be found, leading to inefficiencies and, sometimes, a reputation for hoarding rather than sharing resources. Cataloging provides both physical and intellectual control of collections, ensuring items are described and accessible.”
Tims added that advances in technology continue changing how libraries manage their records; electronic systems now require staff with technical expertise alongside subject knowledge.