But How Is A Library Like A Seance?

Published January 2, 2026 at 12:00 PM EST

A lock of hair in a cardboard frame in the front; an old handwritten letter in the back, with the name Edgar Poe barely visible at the bottom — If you look closely, you can see the name Edgar Poe at the bottom of this letter. And yes, that's a lock of the famous writer's hair. Both are housed at Indiana University's Lilly Library.

The Lilly Library is Indiana University’s rare books, manuscripts, and special collections library. Along with half a million rare books, including a Gutenberg bible, Shakespeare’s first folio, a first edition of Frankenstein, and 8.5 million pieces of manuscript, there is a surprising amount of hair. The librarians and curators there have mixed feelings about the hair. We spoke with Rebecca Bauman, director of curatorial services and curator of modern books, about a lock of hair from a very famous head and what a library has in common with a seance.

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