The Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HSHSL) hosted 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 was 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.
On June 5, 2025, HSHSL screened How to Survive a Plague, a documentary chronicling the early years of the AIDS epidemic and the efforts of activist groups ACT UP and TAG.
