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Card advertising “The Last Days of Pompeii” fireworks show at the World Exposition in New Orleans, LA, c. 1885
“Eclectic Ephemera” opens March 5 in LSU Libraries’ Special Collections

Card advertising “The Last Days of Pompeii” fireworks show at the World Exposition in New Orleans, LA, c. 1885
Card advertising “The Last Days of Pompeii” fireworks show at the World Exposition in New Orleans, LA, c. 1885; George Lanaux and Family Papers, Mss. 1318

A tally of votes from a bitter and contested election. A program featuring a record-setting LSU basketball icon. An advertisement for an elaborate 19th-century pyrotechnic display. What could this seemingly random group of objects possibly have in common? The answer is that they are all known as ephemera: materials designed to be short-lived and discarded.

LSU Basketball Program featuring LSU legends “Pistol” Pete Maravich and Bob Pettit
LSU Basketball Program featuring LSU legends “Pistol” Pete Maravich and Bob Pettit, 1968
Louisiana State University, University Archives

LSU Libraries’ new exhibition, “Eclectic Ephemera in Special Collections,” showing in Hill Memorial Library from March 5 through August 29, 2025, offers a wide-ranging selection of economic, educational, military, political, social, and recreational materials from decades past.

In the context of archives, the word “ephemera” refers to materials created for a particular time and place, intended to be of value only for a short period. Because they were first made for limited use, the material used for production—in our case, paper—is cheap and fragile. Ironically, many archives and special collections libraries hold a vast array of ephemera, spanning decades, among their historical holdings. 

While originally meant to be fleeting, seen collectively, ephemera offer unique perspectives on the times in which they were produced and the people who created them. Often graphically appealing, these items can provide significant information that may not be available elsewhere in the historical record.

As “digital ephemera” proliferates at a quickening pace in our own daily lives, it seems especially appropriate to take a moment to appreciate its ancestral, and ironically more enduring, form. The paper tickets to sporting events, political campaign advertisements, and restaurant menus found in archival collections not only provide a dose of nostalgia; they remind us that we have a lot more in common with our forebears than we may realize.

 

Larissa Elliot
#SubjectLibrarianSaturday: Larissa Elliott

Meet Our Subject Librarian: Larissa Elliott, Agricultural Support Librarian#SubjectLibrarianSaturday is a social media and blog series highlighting LSU Libraries’ subject librarians, whose job is to help students and faculty with their research at any stage.

Larissa Elliott is LSU Libraries’ Agricultural Support Librarian. The responses below have been edited for length and clarity.

 

What inspired you to become a librarian, and how did you become involved in your current field of expertise?  

When I was a freshman in college, I was assigned a work-study position in LSU’s main library, and that is where my love for working in libraries began. I was inspired to become a librarian by my fellow LSU librarians, Randa Lopez Morgan and Sarah Simms, who very clearly love their jobs and talk about them with passion. 

What do you enjoy most about helping patrons with their research and information needs?  

I love that I get to work with such a wide range of subjects under the College of Agriculture. You never know what brilliant research topic a patron is going to bring to you. It’s always fun to challenge myself to find the information that will best suit their needs!

Can you share a memorable experience or success story from assisting a patron with their research project?   

Last semester I was helping a graduate student who had just returned to college after completing their bachelor's 25 years ago, and they felt like they were starting over completely. We met several times during the semester, and it was always such a joy to see their eyes light up when I would explain a new research technique or search strategy that they had never considered before.

Outside of your work as a librarian, what are some of your interests or hobbies?   

My husband and I are avid hikers and love to spend as much time as we can in the woods with our dog! We welcomed a baby girl this past year, and we are eager to take her on her first camping trip this summer!

How do you stay current with developments and trends in your field to better assist patrons with their research needs?

Talking with my colleagues at LSU and others in the field always inspires me to try new approaches for my instruction sessions.

 

Contact a subject librarian to book a research consultation and become familiar with the most frequently used library databases and information sources in your specific area of study.

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