The authors recount the process of bringing the traveling exhibition Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War, to Pace Law Library. They discuss the application process, assembling (and dismantling) the exhibit, marketing efforts, and events and auxiliary exhibits centered around the Lincoln exhibit

Newman, Marie Stefanini

Rucinski, Taryn L.

bepress Legal Repository

Lincoln at Pace Law School

DigitalCommons@Pace

Pace UniversityDigitalCommons@PacePace Law Faculty Publications School of LawSummer 2012Lincoln at Pace Law SchoolMarie S. NewmanElisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, mnewman@law.pace.eduTaryn L. RucinskiPace Law School, trucinski@law.pace.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawfacultyPart of the Legal Education Commons, and the Legal History CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pace LawFaculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact cpittson@law.pace.edu.Recommended CitationMarie Stefanini Newman & Taryn L. Rucinski, Lincoln at Pace Law School, LH&RB, Summer 2012, at 30,http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawfaculty/838/.Lincoln at Pace Law School Marie Stefanini Newman and From March 5, 2012 to April 11, 2012 the third floor of the Gerber Glass Law Center at Pace Law Library played host to the traveling exhibition Lincoln: the Constitution and the Civil Taryn L. Rucinski warl, which was organized by the National Constitution Center2 and the American Library Association Public Programs Office (ALA)3, and made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. 4 Originally conceived of by author and producer Philip -30-B. Kunhardt 111,5 and developed by the National Constitution Center, this exhibit focused on three pivotal crises of Lincoln's presidency including: "the secession of Southern states, slavery, and wartime civil liberties." 6 Pace Law Library was honored to be the only law school selected from among fifty libraries (200 sites nationwide) to host the exhibit including "public, research, and special libraries; historical societies; museums; civic, community, and heritage organizations; and institutions of higher learning from 2009 through 2015.,,7 The Application Process The exhibit process began in early 20 11 when ALA first began advertising the exhibit and soliciting applications to host it. 8 Not only did host institutions need to have sufficient space to set up the 1,000-square-foot exhibit, but also they were required to host an opening event and two public programs related to the themes of the exhibit and presented by qualified scholars. In short order, Associate Library Director John (Jack) McNeill, in conjunction with Law Library Director Marie Stefanini Newman, submitted an online application making the case for the Law Library.9 The underlying concept of Pace Law School as a host site for this exhibit was to tie the historic issues involved with Lincoln and wartime civil liberties to the Law School's ongoing discussion of the "continuing War of Terror [which] ... includes many of the same tensions between Executive action and the constraints of Constitutional government."l0 To bolster the application, Jack contacted likely members of the Law School faculty, two of whom committed to speak at public even ts associated with the exhibit. The application also highlighted the quality of the space that the Law Library could devote to the exhibit. The configuration of the Gerber Glass Law Center proved to be a great advantage in making our case. The third floor of the building is part of the Law Library, but not connected to the stacks. It is a good-sized area that normally provides auxiliary study space for students and remains open even when the rest of the library is closed. Because it is open extended hours, we had security cameras installed to safeguard the exhibit, another requirement for grant recipients. Adjoining the study area are a computer learning center, a storage room, and a classroom that holds approximately eighty people. In our application, we proposed using the third-floor study space to house the exhibit and the classroom as the space for our public events. It would prove to be an ideal arrangement. On August 1, 2011, Pace was notified of its selection, 11 and the library staff switched into high gear to begin its preparations. 12 The Exhibit On February 27, 2012, the exhibit arrived at the library in an array of large cardboard boxes, each of which contained a colorful plastic carton that had been specifically designed to house and 6LINCOLN: THE CONSTITUTION AND THE CIVIL WAR (2011), available at http://www.ala.org /offices/ si tes I a la. org. offices I iles I co nte n t I po I programming I linco ln I files I 3 1 1696 % 2 0 ALA%2 0LINCO L r. pdf (official program brochure). NAT'L CONST. CENTER, h tt p: //cons titu t ioncenter.org / (last visited June 21, 2012). 8 Public Programs Office (PPO), AM. LIBR. Ass'N (ALA), http ://www.a la.org/o ffices/ ppo (last visited June 21, 2012). 9 NAT'L ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES, http ://www.neh .gov/ (last visited June 21, 2012). 10 Philip B. Kunhardt III, Lincoln's Contested Legacy, SMITHSONIAN.COM (Feb. 2009), http ://www.smithsonianmag.com /his tory -archaeology l Lincoln s -Con t ested -Legacy .h tml . 11 Email from Sofiana Krueger, ALA PPO Program Coordinator, to John McNeill, Assoc. Dir. Pace Law Library (Aug 1, 2011, 1:17PM EST) (on file with author). 12 Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War, Selected Sites, Tour 2, ALA, http: //www .ala.org l officesl ppo l p rog rammin g /lincoln I sitest our2 (last visited June 26, 2012) (listing Pace Law School as stop no. 125). -31-protect the exhibit materials during shipping. After the space was cleared of furniture and the exhibit unpacked, it took eight members of the staff approximately four to five hours over a period of two days to assemble the exhibit. The adjoining storage space proved invaluable in providing secure space for the empty cartons and storage containers during the run of the exhibit. Confusing and comical at times, the assembly process nevertheless went swiftly. Several members of the set-up team had watched a helpful ALA video 13 which showed each step of the set-up process and serves to demystify it. 14 The end product was a series of three stand-alone, three-prong, pop-up structures that were covered in floor-to ceiling heavy-duty laminated panels labeled "Divided," "Bound," and "Dissent." 15 The three structures reproduced various historical documents, images, and anecdotes reflecting the secession of the southern states, the "constitutional hurdles [Lincoln had to overcome] in order to abolish slavery ... [and a discussion of] civil liberties in times of war ... and relates Lincoln's responses to the post-9/ 11 challenges faced by the United States." 16 Getting Ou t the Word To support the exhibit, the Pace Law Library staff turned out en masse to assist in every way imaginable. It was truly a team effort. Advertising was handled by both the Law Library and the Pace Law School Communications Department. 17 Press releases were sent out in order to attract members of the local community, and the exhibit was featured prominently on the Law School website. The exhibit comes with a few large posters that were distributed around the campus in high-traffic areas, and staff members created smaller signs for mass distribution. As a result, librarians were running through the halls of the Law School affixing posters to doors and bulletin boards. In addition, we were supplied with informative brochures that we distributed at the public events and made available in the exhibit area; the brochures provide a brief overview of why Lincoln continues to matter today as well as a well-chosen bibliography of books and websites for further exploration. Jack McNeill designed an attractive program for the opening event. We created attractive bookmarks that were available in the exhibit area. Our color prin ter was going nonstop! In an attempt to reach out to students and involve them, Jack McNeill and Lawyer/ Librarian for Research Services Margaret R. Moreland decided to host a series of four "Thursday Night at the Movies" showings (with free snacks!) in the classroom adjacent to the exhibit. We hoped that using that space to show movies would encourage attendees to stay and explore the exhibit. Movies 13 Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War: Setting up the Exhibit, VIM EO (Aug. 15, 2011), h tt p://vimeo.com/2 6 3 9157 1. 14 Taking down the exhibit proved to be as painless as setting it up. Again, it was a straigh tforward process. 15Jennifer Dominiak, Q&A with Dr. Steve Frank, Curator of "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War," PROGRAMMING LIBR. (May 26,2011), http://www.programminglibrarian.or g /b log / 201 11 m ay-2 0 1 11 qanda-w ith -d r. -s t eve-fr ank-cu r a tor-of- linco ln - t h e -consti tu tion-and - t he -civil -war. html. See also Walkthrough of the "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War" with curator Dr. Steve Frank, YOUTUB E (June 1,2011), http://www.youtube . com/watch?v~ 4hNVUPM5S0g. 16 Margaret R. Moreland, Lincon and Grant (Writing, that is), PACE L. LIBR. BLOG (Mar. 20, 2012), http://library . b 10 gs .law . pace . edul2 0 12/0312 Ollinc 0 In-and -grant-wr iting -that-is!. 17 Host sites receive $750 to defray the cost of publicity and other expenses. The money cannot be used to pay for food or refreshments at the public events. Thullen, supra note 8. -32-included such notable titles from the library's Law in Film Collection 18 as: Young Mr. Lincoln (1939);19 The Andersonville Trial (1970);20 Glory (1989);21 and The Conspirator (2010)." Later, blog posts promoting the exhibit and movies were authored by Margaret Moreland and Electronic Services Librarian Lucie Olejnikova. 23 Enhancemen ts to the Exhibit Moreover, to complement the traveling exhibit, Pace enlisted the assistance of part-time Reference Librarian Taryn Rucinski to coordinate the library's own exhibit and online research guide, both entitled Lincoln, Habeas Corpus and the Suspension of Civil Liberties During the Civil War.24 The physical exhibit was housed in small display case in an area adjacent to the main Lincoln exhibit and featured monographs, law review articles, films, and rare books from the Law Library's collection. 25 In addition, the display included copies of political cartoons featuring Lincoln and habeas corpus to give it more visual interest. 26 Taryn Rucinski also created an electronic research guide using Springshare that featured the following tabs: The Exhibit; Habeas Corpus & Civil Liberties During the Civil War; Law Review & Journal Articles; Resources in Print; Film Collection; Papers of Abraham Lincoln; Links & Other Education Resources; Interactive Resources; Speaker Biographies; and Pace Display.27 This research guide was made available on a touchscreen computer located in the exhibit area. The result of the staff's efforts was a coordinated, integrated promotion of the exhibit and the themes it sough t to explore. The Opening and Public Events The exhibit opened officially on March 5th and a gala reception was held on March 6th at Spm. The well-attended reception, which was opened by Jack McNeill with comments by Professor Newman, included a wine-and-cheese buffet and light hors d'oeuvres. The opening was followed by the first of two public lectures planned for the exhibit. Mark. R. Shulman, Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs and International Affairs, and Adjunct Professor of Law, presented a talk en titled "What Abraham Lincoln Can Teach Us Abou t Confron ting National Security Threats in the 18 The Law in Film Collection includes commercial films and documentaries with legal themes, and documents on environmental themes. It is extremely popular with members of the Law School community. The collection runs the gamut from silent movies to recent releases. 19 YOUNG MR. LINCOLN (Twentieth Century Fox 2006). 20 THE ANDERSONVILLE TRIAL (Image Entertainment 2003). 21 GLORY (TriStar Pictures 2007). 22 THE CONSPIRATOR (Roadside Attractions 2011). 23 Moreland, supra note 16; Lucie Olejnikova, Movie Night at the Pace Law Library: Glory, PACE L. LIBR. BLDG (Mar. 29, 2012), h tlp:/Ilibrary.b logs .law.pace.ed u/2012 /03/29 /movie-n ight-a t -p ace -law-Iib r ary -glo ry ! ; Lucie Olejnikova, Movie Night at the Pace Law Library: The Conspirator, PACE L. LIBR. BLDG (Apr. 12, 2012), h ttp : // library . b logs.law .pace.edu/20 12 /04/1 2/movie -n igh t -a t -p a ce - la w -Iib rary- the-c onspira tor ! . 24 Taryn L. Rucinski, Lincoln, Habeas Corpus, and the Suspension of Civil Liberties During the Civil War, PACE L. LIBR. LIBGUIDES (June 27,2012), http ://lib r a ryguides .law.pace .e d u llin c oln . 25 See id. at "Pa ce Display, ''http:/ /l ib r a ryguid es.law.p a c e.edu ! content. p hp? pid =3 04 3 13&s id =2 S791 37 (a PowerPoint presentation is available describing the resources included in the exhibit). 26 All images courtesy of THE LERMAN INST., http ://www .lehrmaninstitute .or g/ (last visited June 26, 2012); THE LmCOLN INST., http ://www.abrahamlincoln .org/ (last visited June 26, 2012). 27 Rucinski, supra note 24. -33-21st Century ."28 Professor Shulman suggested that "Lincoln's measured approach, made palatable b y transparency, to de a ling with secession, emancipation of s la ves , a nd the s uspens ion of h abeas corpus ... spawned. con trove rsy and. scholars con tinue to examine the long term effects of Lincoln's action s. ,,29 There was a lively question-and-answer period follo wing the talk , an d a number of guests stayed after it was over to s peak with Professor Shulman at greater len gth. It was gratify ing to s ee so many students and members of the public at this even t. The se cond public lecture was gi ven on March 21, 20 12 when Professo r of Law Jeffery G. Miller spoke about "Lin co ln's Constitution and the Uni tary Executive Theory.,,3o Accordin g to Professor Miller, this theory, w hich holds that the Preside nt controls th e en tire executive branc h , is new ly controvers ia l beca u se of actions by recent Presiden ts. Com paring the se a ctions to decisions made by Lincoln durin g the Civil War, Professor Miller made con trasts a nd drew para llels. Guests were left to ponde r the e nduring conflict between the Constitu tion's guarantees of personal liberty and th e President's duty to protect the country . Conclusion Ultimately, the Lincoln exhibit required a tremendous amoun t of time, w ork, a nd effort on the part of many members of the library sta ff. To make this effort the success that it was, the entire lib ra ry sta ff came together a s a team. The Lincoln exhibit proved to b e a significant opportunity for the library to foste r discussion of some critica l contempora ry issues through the le ns of history, an d was a showcase for the library 's co llection , staff, an d services. During the process we discove red th e sta ff's many hidden talents, h a d a lot of laughs, and learned a lot a bout each other. Marie Stefanini Newman, M.S., J.D. , Director of Pace Law Library and Professor of Law; Taryn L. Rucinski, J.D., M.L.l.S. Environmental Law Librarian and Adjunct Professor of Law at Pace Lam SchooL 28 Mark R. Shulman, Ass istant Dean , G raduate Programs a nd Intl Affa irs, and Adjunct Professor of Law, W hat Abraham Lincoln Can Teach Us A bout Confronting National Se curity Threats in the 21 st C entury, Address at the Op ening of the Exhibit Lincoln: The Co nstitutio n and the Civil War at the Pace Law Library {Mar. 6, 20 12), http://hbrarvl!Uides law .pace edu / conte nt .p h p? p id=30 4 3 13 &sid =2534 7 2 5 . 29 Moreland, supra note 16. 3 0 Professor M iller steppe d in at the last minute when th e origi nally sche duled speaker could n ot be present du e to illness . · 3 4 · 

http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1837&context=lawfaculty

Lincoln at Pace Law School

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

bepress Legal Repository

DigitalCommons@Pace