With Halloween festivities in full swing at USC and students ready to celebrate, the library decided to join the fun. The Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library, located at the back of the Thomas Cooper Library, hosted a screening of three different "Frankenstein" films as part of its celebration of the Mary Shelley classic turning 200 years old.
"It's something you don't get to see very often," said second-year biology student Allison Horan. "It's three different iterations of similar films back-to-back."
The screening is only part of the library's tribute to "Frankenstein". From now until Dec. 21, an exhibit featuring different editions of the novel, including a first edition, artistic renditions of the work and related poetry and scientific works.
Elizabeth Sudduth, the associate dean of special collections, sees the exhibit's appeal as stemming from the universal themes represented in "Frankenstein."
"It's very timeless," Sudduth said. "It's a story of good and evil. And there's a bit of romance there as well."
Many of the discussions Hollings Library has hosted as part of the celebration have related to modern-day issues. Sudduth believes the book remains relevant due to its portrayal of scientific discoveries and the consequent ethical dilemmas that arise from them.
"Are these discoveries good? ... What issues and problems are there? And then again, those are the questions that we are looking at today. We are looking at the ethics of extending life," Sudduth said.
For those who missed the screening, the "Frankenstein" exhibit will be on display through Dec. 21, and the library will host several more free festivities that students can experience even after Halloween season.
Additional events include "Frankenstein in Comics," a talk on artistic representations of the novel that Sudduth highly recommends, and a panel discussion about Shelley's revolutionary thinking.
Panel about the book will be held on Nov. 2 at 2:30 p.m. and Nov. 3 from 10 to 2 p.m. at the Hollings Library and "Frankenstein in Comics" is set for Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.