National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibit on HIV/AIDS on display at Central Library

Spokane Public Library’s Central branch opens a new traveling exhibition Monday, “Surviving & Thriving: Aids, Politics, & Culture.”
This exhibition from the National Library of Medicine tells the history of AIDS and HIV, from initial discovery, to scientists and public health officials racing to understand how it spread, to the political suppression of news of the outbreak, to the activism and community organizing that brought public awareness and to the severity of the epidemic.
When AIDS was first identified in the 1981 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, it didn’t have an official name. It was discussed by the opportunistic diseases it was related to – diseases that specifically appeared in individuals with significantly weakened immune systems.
The discovery of AIDS began with only five patients in California who had fallen ill to a rare form of pneumonia. By the following year in 1982, the New York Times reported the identification of at least 335 people who had been afflicted with this immunocompromising disease, 136 of whom had died. The headline read, “New Homosexual Disorder Worries Health Officials.”
It was also in 1982 that the CDC stopped referring to the disease as the “4H disease” (the four H’s referring to heroin users, homosexuals, hemophiliacs and Haitians) or GRID (an acronym for gay-related immune deficiency), and titled it “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome,” or AIDS, upon realizing that it was not isolated to gay communities.
The exhibition takes viewers on a journey through this history, highlighting the complex and significant intertwining of the social, political, scientific and cultural factors involved.
Adult services manager Vanessa Strange chose this exhibition specifically because of that history and its legacy of community support.
“This one felt like it could be applicable to a public library setting as well as draw connections to local history and activism,” Strange said. “The public library has always been a place for gathering community, learning and researching with privacy and nonjudgmental support, so I could see that thread connecting this exhibit to Spokane Public Library.”
The library has collaborated with the Spokane AIDS Network to add local archival materials and Spokane stories into the larger context of the exhibition, helping attendees understand how AIDS and HIV has impacted our region.
“In terms of pieces that stand out for me, these two black-and-white photos from The Spokesman-Review archives that I am featuring in the local display,” said Strange, in reference to photos of participants in a Spokane gay pride march, holding signs with the words, “BUSH IS GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER ONE AIDS DEATH EVERY SEVEN MINUTES” and “SILENCE = DEATH.”
The exhibit also details SAN’s history, and how it continues today supporting local community members who live with HIV. It also displays a letter from Bill Clinton in response to SAN’s display of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in 1996.
Although the history of the AIDs epidemic is heavy, Strange hopes that it will serve to inform and inspire attendees about the power of community.
“While delving into all of this history, I realized the transformative power of time and reflection. This exhibit isn’t just about mourning the past, it’s about finding inspiration in it,” Strange said.
Attendees can find information that details individuals who provided care and raised awareness during the disease’s early discovery, as well as activist movements throughout the late ’80s and early ’90s that fought to educate the public about who could be affected and how individuals could protect themselves from the spread.
“Seeing how people came together during a dark and challenging time to support one another, share resources, and create networks of care is both sobering and inspiring. It’s a reminder of the strength we can find in collective action and compassion, even in the face of despair,” Strange said.
The exhibition is available for viewing on the Central Library’s third floor during regular hours through March 8.
“I hope attendees recognize the courage, compassion and resilience of those affected by the AIDS crisis. For those who experienced this era, I want them to know that we won’t forget the challenges they faced,” said Strange.
To learn more before you go, visit spokanelibrary.org to read the library’s blog post and get access to additional resources and learning.