Law Library and Riesenfeld Center Wins Award

The Law Library and Riesenfeld Rare Books Center has recently received an award from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). In recognition of the Riesenfeld Center’s digital exhibit, "Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100," the Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section (ALL-SIS) of AALL has awarded the Library its 2026 Digital Publication Award, honoring the exhibit’s significant contribution to legal literature that is born and remains digital. The Law Library has the unique honor of receiving four awards in the past six years from AALL for digital and print media that highlight its special collections. 

"Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100" explores the history and legacy of the famed 1925 Scopes Trial as seen through the Law Library’s unique special collections. The exhibit emphasizes the role played at trial by Clarence Darrow, drawing upon the Library’s preeminent collection of Darrow’s letters and other writings, and also showcases the depth of the historical legal resources in the Library’s Riesenfeld Center. The site includes original court documents from the trial, speeches, debates, and other publications that shed light on its proceedings and aftermath, as well as detailed trial summaries and timelines to trace the longer history of a heated debate over the role of evolution in public education. 

The digital site was created by Michael Hannon ('98), Associate Director for Special Collections & Digital Initiatives, Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections, Joy Brown, Law Library Digital Technology Specialist, and Sophia Daley, Archives and Digital Collections Associate.