Published: June 12, 2009 09:44 pm      

Lincoln on the move

Two exhibits make stop at Westville

WESTVILLE — An amazing amount of Abraham Lincoln information awaits visitors at the Westville Public Library.

Two traveling Lincoln exhibits are on display in the front lobby of the library, each unique and coming from different sources. The largest, at 7 feet high and 20 feet long, is from the Lincoln Trail Library System. A local double-sided exhibit is from the Vermilion County Museum.

Library Director Rick Balsamello said both exhibits were launched in celebration of Lincoln’s bicentennial birthday. He said the library is fortunate to have the space to occupy two exhibits at once.

“We get them when we can, but it’s unusual that we have two at a time,” Balsamello said. “The timing really worked out. This might be a good opportunity for people around here. There is a lot of information located in a small area.”

The Lincoln Trail exhibit focuses on the Lincoln-Douglas debates and will be in Westville until another library requests it. The Vermilion County Museum exhibit focuses more on Lincoln’s ties to this area and will be at the library until June 18.

Balsamello said he’s found both exhibits interesting, with each containing diverse information. The Lincoln Trail exhibit shows an analysis of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, including different ways of calculating the winner and has maps showing the winner regionally in Illinois.

It also includes information about the change-over to a direct election of United States senators, compared to the state legislators electing the officials from each state in the past.

The vivid photographs and reproductions on the Vermilion County Museum exhibit are what draw visitors into it.

“It’s really nice because they have all those nice old pictures,” said library clerk Bonnie Cox.

Balsamello said the library is holding its summer reading program this week for children in all age groups. He suspected the exhibits would be examined frequently by parents, grandparents and guardians of children attending the sessions.

“People really seem to be impressed by the size and all the information on that one,” Cox said of the Lincoln Trail exhibit.

IF YOU GO

The Westville Public Library, 233 S. State St., has two traveling Lincoln exhibits on display for visitors to examine. Both will be displayed until at least June 18.