What do endangered languages, disappearing glaciers, declining bird populations, and the clothes we wear have in common? They’re all part of a larger conversation about the challenges facing our planet and communities, and the ways we can work toward a more sustainable future.
Cornell University Library’s From the Brink: Contributions to a Sustainable Future from across Cornell brings together seven exhibits across campus libraries, highlighting Cornell’s research, collections, and collaborations addressing environmental and cultural loss. Through topics ranging from biodiversity and climate change to music, labor, and language preservation, the series explores not only what we stand to lose, but also the innovative work being done to protect and preserve what matters.
With the opening of Languages at the Brink at Kroch Library on October 22, the final exhibit in the series has officially opened! Seven exhibits are currently on view across Cornell’s libraries, each offering a unique perspective on the challenges facing our world and the efforts underway to address them.
Explore the exhibits
Mann Library
Mann Gallery, 2nd floor | On view through December 24, 2026
Explore footage, sounds, images, and specimens that help tell the powerful stories of bird species lost, threatened, rediscovered and brought back from the brink of extinction.
Mann Library Lobby, 1st floor | On view through December 24, 2026
Featuring reproductions of illustrations from rare natural history books and stories of conservation successes, this exhibit explores the threats facing Earth’s biodiversity and what we can do to help.
Mann Top Shelf Gallery, 1st floor | On view through December 24, 2026
Stunning photographs by wildlife photographer Marie Read celebrate the birds and habitats of Cornell Botanic Gardens while highlighting the importance of protecting the places birds call home.
Sidney Cox Library of Music and Dance
Music Library | On view through December 23, 2026
Discover how Cornell composers have responded to environmental challenges through music, using sound and creative expression to explore humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Catherwood Library
Catherwood Library | On view through August 15, 2027
Drawing on archival materials from the Kheel Center and clothing from the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection, this exhibit examines how environmental change has shaped working conditions, labor movements, and the clothing workers wear.
Kroch Library
Kroch Library, Asia Collections Exhibit Space | On view through May 2027
What happens when a language is at risk of disappearing? Featuring five endangered languages, including Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ, (Cayuga), this exhibit explores the forces threatening linguistic diversity and the efforts of communities working to reclaim and preserve their languages.
Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC)
RMC, Hirshland Exhibition Gallery, 2B Kroch Library | On view through August 27, 2027
Travel through three centuries of glacial exploration and research through historic photographs, maps, rare books, and contemporary imagery documenting the dramatic changes taking place in Earth’s frozen landscapes.
A shared vision for a sustainable future
The From the Brink series began in November 2025 with Hello, Human! The Emerging Science of Plant Communication and Smart Agriculture, an exhibit at Mann Library exploring how scientists are developing new ways to understand and communicate with plants. Although that exhibit closed in March 2026, its focus on scientific innovation and sustainable agriculture helped set the stage for the full exhibit series.
Together, these exhibits offer a reminder that while environmental and cultural challenges can often feel overwhelming, research, creativity, collaboration, and community action can make a difference.
All exhibits are free and open to the public during their respective libraries’ open hours. Whether you visit one exhibit or explore the entire series, we invite you to discover the many ways Cornell is contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future.