On Saturday, September 7, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Jón Árnason, National Librarian and folklore collector, was commemorated. Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education and Culture, gave an address and unveiled a relief of Jón Árnason in the lobby of the National Library by sculptor Helgi Gíslason. After that, there was a symposium about Jón where Soffía Auður Birgisdóttir, Arndís Hulda Auðunsdóttir, Hólmfríður K. Gunnarsdóttir, Bragi Þorgrímur Ólafsson, Romina Werth and Helga Kress gave presentations, in addition to Ingibjörg Steinunn Sverrisdóttir, National Librarian, giving an address. Örn Hrafnkelsson chaired the symposium. 

After the symposium, an exhibition about Jón's life and work was opened, featuring manuscripts, letters and printed books. Halldóra Kristinsdóttir, Guðrún Laufey Guðmundsdóttir, Bragi Þorgrímur Ólafsson and Jökull Sævarsson were responsible for the selection of exhibition objects and the writing of exhibition texts, and Ólafur J. Engilbertsson designed the exhibition and catalogue. The reconstruction of the website jonarnason.is , designed by Olga Holownia, was also opened and is accessible at the exhibition.

 

 Videos from the symposium on the museum's YouTube page

Exhibition catalogue
Exhibition posters