The Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HSHSL) is proud to host AIDS, Posters, and Stories of Public Health: A People’s History of a Pandemic, a traveling exhibition exploring how communities have used posters and storytelling in response to the AIDS crisis. The exhibit will be on display on the HSHSL’s second floor from May 9 to June 12, 2025.

The exhibition draws from the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) archive of public health posters about AIDS, rooted in the work of artists, activists, and community members. These posters use drawing, personal narratives, accessible language, and collective design to send a clear message: more than 40 years after the crisis began, AIDS is not over. A companion digital gallery showcases a curated selection of fully digitized materials from NLM’s historical collections, offering a deeper look into the history behind the exhibit.

Credits:
AIDS, Posters, and Stories of Public Health: A People’s History of a Pandemic was produced by the National Library of Medicine. It was guest curated by Theodore Kerr, a writer, organizer, and founding member of What Would an HIV Doula Do?

To accompany the exhibit, HSHSL will host a screening of the documentary How to Survive a Plague on Wednesday, May 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. The award-winning film covers the early years of the AIDS epidemic and follows the activist groups ACT UP and TAG. A short discussion led by library staff will follow the screening.