Katy Kelly and Ione Damasco are pretty excited about the traveling exhibit they’ve landed for the University of Dayton’s Roesch Library.

UD is one of only 40 cities in the nation to host “Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible.”

The exhibit, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of the famous book’s first printing, is on display in the library’s first floor lobby through Sept. 19.

The traveling portion of the show is a series of large double-sided panels that trace the history and significance of the Protestant Bible, one of the most widely read books in the world.

“You might wonder why a Catholic University is showcasing another faith tradition,” says Damasco, who works as cataloger librarian. “This exhibit is about history and about the historical and cultural influences and impact the King James has had over the centuries. Our curriculum is not just about the Catholic faith and the exhibit isn’t really about theology but about history and culture.”

Kelly, communications and outreach librarian, says the exhibit seeks to show visitors how many different facets of our culture have been impacted by this text. The King James, she says, has influenced everything from U2’s song, “40,” to classics like “Moby Dick” and the “Grapes of Wrath.” Its language and style have affected authors ranging from Harriet Beecher Stowe to Charles Schultz, and it was even quoted from space by the Apollo 8 astronauts as they orbited the moon.

In addition to the traveling exhibit, the two women have added rare and historic books and manuscripts, including a first-edition King James Bible on loan from Denison University.

Kelly was given the daunting task of driving to Denison and transporting the ancient and valuable Bible back to Dayton. It is valued at $47,000.

“They had it well-wrapped and in a Rubbermaid storage container,” she says.

In an era where e-books are so popular and we are moving away from hard copy books, says Damasco, it’s interesting for people to see a book that has survived for 400 years.

“Today, in a digital age, we’re lucky if they last 40 days without being corrupted,” she adds.

When the two librarians first heard the National Endowment for the Humanities was offering grant opportunities for the exhibit, they decided to apply. The exhibit is organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., and the American Library Association Public Programs Office.

“We had just acquired the Douai-Rheims Bible, the first Catholic English translation of the Bible that pre-dates the King James by a few years,” Kelly says. “It’s a real gem for our collection and we thought it would be interesting to have an exhibit where we could talk about the differences between the two Bibles.”

The King James was translated over a period of years by committees of England’s top religious scholars. It is known for its readability, Kelly says.

“Before the Church of England came into existence under King Henry VIII, it was considered heresy to translate the Bible and people were executed for trying to translate it into English,” Damasco says. “It was the clergy’s role to read the Bible and most people couldn’t afford to have books anyway.”

Although there were several English translations before the King James, it was the King James that brought the Bible to the masses. Versions began being printed in smaller sizes.

In the 20th century, the librarians say, there was an explosion of different translations and versions of a book that lends itself to visual interpretation. Among the items on display are a Bible illustrated by artist Marc Chagall, and a Jerusalem Bible illustrated by Salvador Dali. There is also a case of family Bibles in which many people include a family tree and genealogy.

“We’re encouraging people to come and read the panels, walk around the cases to see these rare books,” Kelly says.

The library has planned a series of free programs in conjunction with the exhibit including opening and closing events and brown bag lunch lectures.