From now until the end of the semester, if you are in the library and need a study break, or if you are just cutting through from the mall to Curtain Road, take a moment to check out the photography exhibit in the main lobby.

As part of the sesquicentennial theme on campus, university archivist Jackie Esposito and Exhibition Coordinator Betsy Hutton have compiled a brief glimpse into Penn State's history by telling a story through photographs of its architecture.

The exhibit focuses on images of buildings from the late 1800s to the late 1930s, when Pattee Library was constructed.

The exhibit is just one of many dedicated to Penn State's 150 birthday.

Other exhibits can be found in the HUB-Robeson Center, the Special Collections Library, the University Faculty Senate office and at the University Park airport.

The black, white and sepia-toned photos are taken from Penn State University Archives, located in 104 Paterno.

A majority of the images are from a postcard book that would have been available for purchase in the 1890s in the downtown stores. Other photos were added to include locations such as the Pattee Library.

"I selected the images to get students to think about the buildings they walk by everyday," Esposito said.

Several of the buildings will look familiar to current Penn State students, including Schwab Auditorium, which used to be a state-of-the-Beaux-Arts building; Carnegie Building; and the obelisk, in all of its 32.7 foot glory, which now sits between Sackett and Willard buildings.

Other buildings, though, will look completely foreign, such as the Ladies' College, the Armory and several fraternity houses that no longer stand.

"We wanted to give people a chance to envision a walking tour of the campus, beginning in 1855 and continuing through the construction of the original Pattee library in 1939," Hutton said.

Esposito began compiling the pictures in November, but the exhibition was planned as part of the university-wide sesquicentennial campaign several months prior to that.

She chose the lobby gallery space for its visibility as a result of the high amount of daily traffic.

"The Lion Ambassadors often take prospective students and their parents through there, as well," Esposito said. "It's a nice historical view of campus."

Since its founding as the Farmer's High School of Pennsylvania in 1855, Penn State might have changed physically, but Esposito said it retains a sense of closeness.

"It's interesting how the nature of campus stays the same," she said. "Even with all of the construction, the personalness of Penn State is still maintained. We're trying to make people feel as though they are part of a community."

While the exhibition is partially to commemorate Penn State's history, its concurrent purpose is to bring attention to some of the library's lesser-known resources.

"Part of the reason for having this exhibition is to spark interest in the library's collection," Hutton said.

The library archives are physical records that can be seen with permission of the Special Collections faculty.

Special Collections houses more than 200,000 photos solely about Penn State history. They include pictures of both finished buildings and the construction and site plans of the buildings, as well.

In addition, records of students, faculty and other Penn State events are included in the archives.

"If it happened at Penn State, we try to include images of it," Esposito said.

As campus construction continues at a rapid rate and as the bosky landscape gives way to man-made "quads," remembering Penn State's past through physical records becomes vital, Hutton said.

"With the IST building really changing the face of campus and expanding the West side of campus, it's nice to get an idea of what [campus] did look like," Hutton said. "In some of the pictures, you notice familiar landmarks, like Mount Nittany. It's also fun to try to identify College Ave., and what it looked like a long time ago."

The photo exhibit is open now and will be on display until May 25 in the main lobby, but the original photos are available in the Special Collections Library Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.