Cornell University Library invites communities on campus, in Ithaca, and across the Finger Lakes to celebrate the simultaneous opening of three Mann Library exhibits that are part of our From the Brink series: 

• Last Call: Bird Decline and the Threat of Extinction,  in collaboration with the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Cornell Museum of Vertebrates, Mann Library Gallery, 2nd floor

• Keeping Common Birds Common: Birds and Habitat in Cornell Botanic Gardens and Beyond, in collaboration with wildlife photographer Marie Read and Cornell Botanic Gardens, Top Shelf Gallery, 1st floor

• Going to Gone: Earth's Biodiversity Loss and What We Can Do About It, featuring illustrations from rare books in the Cornell Library collections to highlight the threat of biodiversity loss in the 21st century, Mann Lobby

At 4:00 p.m., in Mann 160, Cornell Lab of Ornithology researcher Jordan Boersma will deliver the talk, “Finding Hope in the Search for Lost Birds.” Boersma has more than a decade of experience in New Guinea, where he works with local communities and Indigenous knowledge keepers to better understand and conserve understudied bird taxa. A contributing scientist in the global Search for Lost Birds project, he will highlight recent insights gained from partnerships between Indigenous communities and scientists to find and protect birds previously believed to be extinct.

At 5:00 p.m., Mann Library Gallery hosts a reception with remarks by Mike Webster, a professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior and the director of  the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world’s premiere collection of media capturing the behaviors of wild birds and other animals.

Related events in April include:

• “Near the Forest, by the Lake: Discovering Nature Close to Home” hybrid book talk, April 9, 4:30 p.m., by Angela Douglas, professor emerita in Cornell’s Department of Entomology, at Mann Library 160 and livestreamed

• “Birds and Blooms” monthly bird and habitat tours, starting April 17 with Cornell Botanic Gardens and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Register at cornellbotanicgardens.org.

• “Keeping Our Common Birds Common”  lecture, April 26, 3:00 p.m., by Douglas Tallamy, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology in the University of Delaware, presented by Cornell Botanic Gardens, at Call Auditorium, Kennedy Hall and livestreamed

This exhibit opening celebration at Mann Library is part of From the Brink: Contributions to a Sustainable Future from across Cornell, a series of exhibits hosted by different libraries across Cornell University Library in partnership with other departments and groups on campus.

The "From the Brink" exhibit program at Mann Library is made possible by the Elizabeth (Betty) Rowley Fund for Mann Library.