The exhibition, on the mezzanine level, is drawn from the personal collection of Anne Hardin of Beaufort and details Bradbury's career as a writer from his early magazine stories in the 1940s to books published just this year.

Hardin's Bradbury collection features many rarities, including early editions of the science-fiction magazine, Weird Tales; Bradbury's first book, Dark Carnival (1947); and the first hardback edition of Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury's famous novel on book burning, issued with a fire-resistant asbestos dust jacket.

The exhibition traces the publishing history of Fahrenheit 451 from its magazine appearance as "The Fireman" and including its first separate publication in paperback, the Francois Truffaut screenplay and film, and successive limited reprintings and translations, to the edition issued last year to mark Bradbury's award from the National Book Foundation.

The exhibit will feature first and other special editions of his novels and other books, many personally inscribed by Bradbury to Hardin, as well as letters and typescripts of Bradbury classics such as The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles, advertising materials, and posters for several Bradbury films. Also included are examples of Bradbury's poems, essays, children's stories, and adaptations of his work as videos and comic books.

Hardin, a music teacher, met Bradbury when she was editing the International Trumpet Guild magazine and published some of his poems. Her Bradbury collection is unparalleled, and, through her collecting efforts, she became one of Bradbury's closest friends.

About 750 freshmen read Fahrenheit 451 as part of this year’s First Year Reading Experience.