The Words of Children

"The Words of Children" exhibit highlights items that Virginia Tech received following the tragic events of April 16, 2007. It features children's letters, drawings, and objects from elementary, middle, high school students from around the world. The more than 150 items are filled with messages of love, hope, and peace, many of which have not been displayed for exhibition before.

Created for the 15th annual remembrance commemoration in 2022, the physical exhibit is on display in Newman Library on the 2nd floor, April 11 thru April 22 during the library's open hours. 

The digital exhibit also includes audio from the April 16, 2007 Oral History Collection and VT Stories. Alumni and others discuss their memories and feelings about April 16th.

In the days and years following April 16th, Virginia Tech received over 90,000 letters, cards, posters, banners, photographs, artifacts, textiles, books, certificates, and more from people and organizations all around the world and left at memorials on the Blacksburg campus. Special Collections and University Archives collected representative items for the Virginia Tech April 16, 2007 Archives of the University Libraries, a collection of over 500 cubic feet of material. Items from every continent, 80 countries, and all 50 U.S. states are represented in the collection. Digital representations of over 7,000 items were also captured by archivists and are online in the April 16, 2007, Condolence Archives digital collection.

Addressing difficult topics can be stressful and cause anxiety, difficulty concentrating, sleep loss, and even concerns about safety. If you or a loved one needs help, visit the Mental Health Resources page for available resources.