A spring 2026 collaboration between wildlife photographer Marie Read, Cornell Botanic Gardens, and Mann Library will present unforgettable photographic portraits of birds that reside in the biodiverse habitats maintained by CBG. As this installation will show, managed landscapes that integrate principles of habitat conservation and native plant gardening have a key role to play in keeping the beautiful birds that visit our backyards, neighborhoods, parks, fields and forests today common forever.  

Keeping Common Birds Common is part of Mann Library's spring 2026 exhibit program that also features:

• Last Call: Bird Decline and the Threat of Extinction, a collaboration between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the MacAulay Library, the Cornell Museum of Vertebrates and Mann Library, Mann Library Gallery. 
• Going to Gone: Earth's Biodiversity Loss and What We Can Do About It, an exhibit of illustrations from rare books in the Cornell Library collections to highlight the threat of biodiversity loss in the 21^st century, Mann Lobby

Special rogramming in conjunction with the exhibit includes

• Opening celebration, Thursday, April 16, Jason Boersma (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) will present the lecture "Finding Hope in the Search for Lost Birds" at 4:00 p.m. in Mann Room 160. A reception will follow at 5:00 p.m. in the Mann Library Gallery.  All are welcome!
• Birds and Blooms, monthly starting Friday, April 17, bird + habitat tours with Cornell Botanic Gardens and Lab of Ornithology; register at cornellbotanicgardens.org
• Nature’s Best Hope, Sunday, April 26, lecture by Douglas Tallamy, Ph.D., Professor of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology (University of Delaware), presented by Cornell Botanic Gardens, Call Auditorium, Kennedy Hall

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

From the Brink showcases collections, research support, and collaborative efforts across Cornell and illuminates ways of addressing issues of critical, global importance. This series of exhibits aims to stimulate conversations about the threat of environmental and cultural loss and its implications, while also offering insights about positive developments and constructive steps toward a healthier future for our planet and our communities