Today, the Standing Committee on Professional Awareness (SCOPA) sponsored the forum, "Race on the Stand: African American History in the Law Library's American Trials Collection," at the Sterling Memorial Library Lecture Hall. Mike Widener, the Rare Book Librarian for Yale's Lillian Goldman Law Library discussed the Library's American Trials Collection and its importance to a variety of topics in African American history.  This collection contains some particularly significant holdings related to African American history, including various Abolitionist pamphlets and records of the Amistad trials (1839-1840).

Above, Mike begins his presentation to the Yale University Librarians and Staff on the Law Library's American Trials Collection. Below, Mike discusses the history of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, one of the key events within the Abolitionist movement leading into the American Civil War.

If you are interested in learning more about the Law Library's American Trials Collection, please visit the Paskus-Danziger Rare Book Room on L2 within the Law Library. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. During these hours, the room is used exclusively for research using rare books, the door to the reading room is locked with entrance permitted by buzzer only, and an attendant is always present. It is advisable to call ahead to make sure the collection will be available, contact Mike Widener at mike.widener@yale.edu or call (203) 432-4494.