Visitors to Falk Library, located in Alan Magee Scaife Hall, are encouraged to check out these opportunities and displays:
All Treats, No Tricks
Friday, October 31, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
We’re bringing out all the treats for Halloween at Falk Library. Dive into our classic candy bowls with a delightful selection of chocolates and colorful sweets that cater to every craving. But the real magic happens with our themed test tubes—each one filled with decadent chocolate candy, resembling mysterious potions from a haunted laboratory. For additional thrills, our popular Historical Collection stickers are back! Grab a sticker that features a spooky figure from our History of Medicine books, some of which will be on display. Candy and stickers are provided while supplies last.
Creative Corner
New this semester! Busy with classes, presentations, reading, and studying? Visit the Creative Corner, located next to the Leisure Books section, and take a few minutes to unwind, de-stress, and explore your creative self. We offer a rotating selection of coloring supplies, puzzles, fidgets, and games to use in the study spaces throughout the library. Take them to your seat in the library and return them to the shelves when finished. Loose paper with word searches and crosswords can be taken with you. Supplies are limited and are available during all regular library hours.
On Display
Uncovering the Mystery of Measles (Display Cases, Main Floor)
Measles is a highly contagious virus that puzzled early physicians and alarmed communities who didn’t understand how it was spread. This exhibit features writings by Thomas Sydenham (1676) and Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Rhazes (9th century), who were the first to identify measles as a separate disease from smallpox and scarlet fever. Other items in the exhibit show how physicians and public health officials pieced together strategies to identify and slow the transmission of measles from recurring epidemics in Boston, Denmark, and England.
Gifts That Shaped Our Collection (Rare Book Room Window Display, Lower Floor)
This display highlights just four donors among many library supporters over the years to illustrate the scope, importance, value, and beauty of books received for the historical collection through generous donations. Several of the items on display have been previously featured in the Treasures from the Rare Book Room article series, including:
- Bartholin, Thomas: Anatome, donated by T. Osial
- Enderlen, Eugen: Stereoskopbilder zur Lehre von den Hernien, donated by M. Ravitch
- Pirckheimer, Willibald: Apologia seu podagrae laus [First edition], donated by family of G. Rodnan
- Withering, William: An account of the foxglove, and some of its medical uses, donated by J.D. Heard
As the Years Go By – Scope and Scalpel Poster Retrospective (Wall Gallery, Lower Floor)
Newly framed posters from the Scope and Scalpel collection adorn the gallery walls outside the Rare Book Room and Quiet Study Rooms. Braille descriptions are available below each poster.
Scope and Scalpel memorabilia are accompanied by an array of digitized production materials. Selected ones are presented in the Scope and Scalpel online exhibit, and more digitized materials are available through the Scope and Scalpel collection finding aid.
Nine Ages of Man Sculpture (Study Area, Main Floor)
Nine Ages of Man is a Randolf W. Johnston work from 1970 that was donated to the School of Medicine in 1984 by Peter Winter in honor of Peter Safar, the renowned Pitt Med professor who co-developed CPR and helped establish Pittsburgh’s groundbreaking Freedom House Ambulance Service. The sculpture has been on view for visitors to Alan Magee Scaife Hall, and during building construction is on loan for temporary display in Falk Library.
While our focus is on the Pitt Health Sciences community, all Pitt affiliates are welcome to participate. Unless otherwise noted, all activities and displays are available during Falk Library Operating Hours.