"Celebrate the Sky" explores the history and artistry of kites with a riot of the colorful contraptions hung from the library lobby's ceiling.

The exhibition runs through Aug. 6 in the library located at the center of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

Found throughout the world, kites have been used as toys, means of artistic expression, cultural and religious symbols, tools of war and instruments of science and technology. While materials and designs may have changed over the years, kites have endured as devices with many applications and meanings.

"Kites have made significant contributions to history, the arts, science and mathematics, and have broadened our cultural awareness," said library supervisor Gina R. Hsiung, who is co-curating the show with Glen E. Rothstein of Ventura County Kite Flyers. "Kite flying and kite flyers, from Benjamin Franklin to Charlie Brown, are quintessential parts of American culture."

The library's exhibit includes a continuous-loop video exploring different types of kites and how they are made, as well as images of sport kite tricks and extreme kite surfboarding.

A variety of kites are also on display, including a small Chinese dragon kite made of silk, bamboo and feathers; a handcrafted Balinese 3-D clipper ship with nylon sails and bamboo supports; two sets of 10 mini-kite trains, one with a panda and the other with a swallow, made in Wiefang, China; as well as several fighter kites.

"I've tried to make this exhibit appeal to all ages," Hsiung said. "There's something magical about kites and almost everyone has a fond memory of flying them."

Admission to the exhibit is free and open to the public during normal library business hours, which are from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday and Friday and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

The library is open on only two Saturdays in July, July 12 and 26, from 1-5 p.m.

The library is closed on Sunday.

For more information about the exhibit, e-mail the Friends of the Library at friends.library@csun.edu.