By: Carson Hamilton

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – The Italian Department at the University of Arkansas is enhancing ways for students to interact with Mullins Library.

Assistant Italian Professor Dr. Daniela D’Eugenio and her honors students curated an exhibit in collaboration with the Special Collections department. During a two-day symposium, “Boccaccio’s Decameron: New Perspectives Between Text and Image,” students, scholars, and community members were allowed to explore the Decameron through the special collections resources. At the symposium on Medieval Literature and Illuminated Manuscripts, Sidney Casey, an Honors English and Italian studies student, assisted in curating an exhibit to showcase manuscripts, editions, and visual interpretations of The Decameron.

 

The public event created an opportunity for students to use in-class work in a professional setting. This expanded to three other Honors students who helped compose the display. Through research and analytics, the resources from the library used tools that many students have not had the opportunity to interact with. However, that is changing. Sara Barclay, the Library Exhibit Archivist, believes that more faculty will continue to use the available resources for their coursework in the future. “Exhibits add visibility to the library, and as professors realize that, this will be an opportunity for their students as well,” said Barclay.

The exhibit on Boccaccio was one of multiple events for viewers to interact with on Feb. 24-25, 2026. Furthermore, bridging the learning gap among students and enabling them to become knowledgeable about international history. “Long-term, I want to continue studying adaptations, and I love to focus on Italian literature, so this was a good stepping-stone into that world,” says Casey.

This opportunity to interact with special collections is one of many that Dr. D’Eugenio allows her students to experience. From this, many of her students have grown an immense respect for the Departments at the Library but also for the Italian Language Department. “Daniela was my favorite thing when working on the project; she is so encouraging and supporting…and the Italian department wants you to succeed,” said Casey.

Towards the future, all Departments look forward to curating more exhibits where students are the front runners for research.