Law Library Digital Exhibit Wins Award

 

The Law Library has recently been honored by an award from the American Association of Law Libraries, in recognition of its fall 2020 digital exhibit, "Law and the Struggle for Racial Justice: Selected Materials from the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center." The Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section awarded the exhibit the 2021 Publications Award for its significant contribution to legal literature. 

 

In particular, the exhibit's creators, Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections, and Patrick Graybill, Digital Technology Specialist, were recognized for their work on the site.

 

The digital exhibit highlights the Black American struggle to achieve equal rights, focusing on long historical exclusion and moments of progress in the quest to achieve equality under law. The exhibit draws on the extensive collections of the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center, including books, pamphlets, posters and other materials, which have been featured in a corresponding physical exhibit in fall 2020 and spring 2021.

For more on the exhibit please see the announcement, and the exhibit link below:

"Law and the Struggle for Racial Justice: Selected Materials from the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center at the University of Minnesota Law Library"

 

Tribute to Vice President Walter F. Mondale ('56)

Vice President Walter F. Mondale ('56) (1928-2021) was a great friend to the Law School that bears his name, and its Law Library.  The Riesenfeld Center joins the rest of the Law School community in mourning the passing of the former Vice President.  Mr. Mondale was a great example of decency and of principled public service throughout his long career.  As Dean Garry W. Jenkins said in a recent Minnesota Law tribute, "As a politician, public servant, diplomat, and lawyer, Walter Mondale exemplified the values of leadership and service that we seek to foster at Minnesota Law."

During his life, Mr. Mondale donated generously to the Law School's archives photographs, memorabilia, and other material that document his life and career, as well as his decades-long involvement with the Law School.  Among these is a particularly special photographic portrait of Mondale made by Ansel Adams in 1977.  Mr. Mondale's donations formed the basis of an exhibit and events commemorating his 80th birthday in 2008, and a commemorative exhibit centered on Mondale Hall in 2018.  Some of the photographs from the Mondale collection were also included in a recent CNN tribute.  Further images are digitized as part of the Law Library's 2013 digital exhibit focusing on Mr. Mondale's consequential Senate career.   

Mr. Mondale graciously visited the Riesenfeld Center for several events, and we have particularly fond memories of him here.  Beyond the many achievements, he was a warm, funny, and deeply caring individual, who we will greatly miss.  In the fall, the Law Library will mount an exhibit in celebration of his life and career.

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections