Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) President John O'Brien will present a complete, four-volume set of hardcover books, "The Papers of Abraham Lincoln," to the Edwardsville Public Library at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12.
Joining him will be Charles Swartout, president of the St. Clair County Bar Association, and Lincoln re-creator Joe Woodard in full costume.
Library director Deanne Holshauser will accept the donation on behalf of the library.
The ISBA, in partnership with its charitable affiliate -- the Illinois Bar Foundation -- purchased sets for all 102 Illinois counties as a contribution to the Illinois Bicentennial celebration of Lincoln's birth on Feb. 12, 2009.
"Public libraries throughout the state will now have this important set of books that include details of his 50 most prominent cases," said O'Brien. "It is a lasting tribute to the most revered lawyer in the history of our state and nation."
The Papers, a long-term project dedicated to identifying, imaging and publishing all documents written by or to Abraham Lincoln during his lifetime (1809-1865), is considered the most comprehensive collection of texts during his life. With the inclusion of correspondence, richer annotation, and closer attention to details, The Papers of Abraham Lincoln offers a fresh, new look at the words and works of one of America's most admired citizens and opens new vistas on a critical period of the nation's history.
The Papers of Abraham Lincoln to be presented to Edwardsville library, in full costume
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