We invite you to browse panels about the scripts of ancient Egypt, indigenous languages of Central and South America, languages of Southeast Asia, and more – including the English language and language used in graffiti and comics.

This exhibit highlights the possibilities for exploration and discovery within the library’s collections, which are impressive on many levels. The sheer number of materials, including more than 8.5 million volumes in locations all over campus, and access to millions of digital books, journals and images, makes it one of the largest university library systems in the United States. The collection encompasses ancient documents written on papyrus, electronic journals reporting on the latest advances in science and medicine, and materials from nearly every period, culture, and way of thought in between.

In this panel, four scholars of language consider how language has been used to construct and perform gender and sexuality. They will examine a history of approaches to language, gender and sexuality; the connection between language, sexuality and masculinities; the erasure of lesbians from queer linguistics; the encoding of gender and sexuality in the grammar and lexicon and efforts to change the language.

Anne Curzan University of Michigan, English, Linguistics and Education

Scott Kiesling University of Pittsburgh, Linguistics

Robin Queen University of Michigan, Linguistics

Shelley Swearingen University of Michigan, Linguistics