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Library Exhibitions and Events: Current and future exhibitions and events

The University of Southampton Library offers a varied programme of events and exhibition across its sites.

Welcome to the Library's exhibitions and events page

Find out about our current and upcoming exhibitions and events, which will be taking place in one or more of our gallery spaces at the Hartley Library, the National Oceanographic Library and the Winchester School of Art Library.

#UniSotonLibraryExhibitions

What's on

Scroll through the gallery below to explore events and exhibitions currently taking place.

Wednesday 4th June 2025 - Wednesday 25th June 2025

Journeys into Spiritual Wellbeing: Urban Meditation in Taiwanese Outsider Art

This outsider art exhibition embodies aesthetic and creative expressions of urban meditation, a meditative experience known in Taiwan as self-detachment (放空). It showcases 18 drawings created by anonymous artists living with mental health conditions in Taiwan. Expressive, whimsical and deeply emotional, these artworks celebrate artists’ creativity and translate their meditative experiences into journeys for spiritual wellbeing.

On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library

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Thursday 8th May 2025  - Tuesday 15th July 2025

Tales from the National Oceanographic Library Archive

The National Oceanographic Library (NOL) based at the National Oceanographic Centre contains documents and artefacts relating to over 100 years of oceanographic and marine science history. Tales from the National Oceanographic Library Archive explores just a fraction of some of these artefacts. Using 3D printing and an interactive audio experience you can see, touch, utilise, and even hear the stories of these fascinating objects.

Tales from the National Oceanographic Library Archive is a student led project created by Lingyi Zhang during an 18 day placement with the Digital Scholarship team based in Hartley Library, as part of a professional placement during her master’s course in Archaeology.

On display at the National Oceanographic Library

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Our Library sites

Find out more about each of our Library sites.

Check the opening hours to see when all our libraries are open.

Future exhibitions and events

Scroll through the gallery below to explore our upcoming events and exhibitions.

Monday 7th July 2025  - Monday 15th September 2025

The Library's 2nd Summer Exhibition will showcase artwork created by staff from the University of Southampton.  This year's theme is Connection.

On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library

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Monday 29th September 2025 - Friday 31st October 2025

Discovery 100

To mark the centenary of the RRS Discovery, the exhibition will draw on material from the National Oceanography Library archive to highlight something of life on board in the 1920s.

Curated by Emma Guest (Engagement Librarian), Catherine Polley (Head of Collections Engagement), Peter Webster (Head of Digital Scholarship and Innovation) and Karen Robson (Head of Archives and Special Collections).

On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library

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