Since 2006, the front pages of newspapers from around the world have been blown up and displayed outside Moffitt Library and the adjacent Free Speech Movement Café. Librarian Elizabeth Dupuis says the displays were particularly remarkable in the early days of the pandemic. “For a couple of months, every paper was reporting on the mysterious virus that was impacting people across the globe.” Eventually the virus would impact the display itself. “Monday, March 16, 2020, was the last day that we posted front pages for a while, so for months after that date, the newspaper display appeared to be frozen in time.”
Things to know:
The 13 display cases are refreshed early every morning with front pages from six continents.
Newspapers in regular rotation include The Guardian, China Daily, Indian Express, and Washington Post.
Most of the papers are in English, but French and Spanish papers are sometimes included.
In 2016, the library initiated the Flashback News element, featuring a front page from that week in history. Dupuis says it’s a way to “highlight the library’s amazing collections and raise awareness about experiences in the past.”
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