Muse Law Library History

2015

Technical Services renovation begins in the fall of 2015.

2015

Construction is completed for L31, the Muse Law Library's second classroom.

2006

The Law Library joins other academic law libraries and the Virginia State Law Library to form the Virginia Law Libraries Digital Collections Consortium, providing digital access to the records and briefs of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

1990

Susan English takes a position as a director of a law firm library in Philadelphia, and Steven D. Hinckley, having previously served as Assistant Law Librarian/Head of Public Services, returns to Richmond as the Director of the Law Library...

1990

Construction begins for renovation and addition to the Muse Law Library.

1990

The Law Library implements the Dynix automated library system, and the print card catalog is removed.

1992

The renovation is complete. The William Taylor Muse Law Library is nearly doubled in size.

1992

Student carrels are installed, and the Law Library, computer lab, and law faculty offices are upgraded with AT&T 386’s as well as wiring for network connectivity. The PCs and installation were funded by a grant from AT&T.

1994

First-year students are the first in the nation to arrive with “portable computers,” and the Law Library offers access to the internet, email, and legal databases via the web.

1995

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology goes live on the internet – the first journal of law and technology on the web.

1997

Timothy L. Coggins joins the staff as the Director of the Law Library and Associate Professor of Law. Mr. Coggins holds both JD and MLS degrees. He also directs the first year Lawyering Skills program. Later, he becomes the Associate Dean...

2001

The William Taylor Muse Law Library collection exceeds 300,000 volumes.

2001

William Hamilton Bryson’s “Cases Concerning Equity and the Courts of Equity, 1550-1660” is selected for the commemoration of the 300,000th volume added to the Muse Law Library collection.

2001

The Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Special Collections and Rare Books Room is dedicated, providing space for scholars to examine the archives, personal papers, and rare books in the Muse Law Library’s collection.

2001

The Law Library goes live with the integrated library system Voyager, produced by Endeavor, Inc.

2009

Shelving, newspaper and magazine racks, and display cases are added to Muse Law Library’s circulation area, and study tables are added to the reference hallway for quiet study.

2009

The computer lab is updated with new furniture, and additional fast-speed laser printers and scanners are added.

2012

A classroom, L30, is constructed on the first floor of the Muse Law Library.

2014

The Institutional Repository is developed to showcase faculty and student scholarship and to make other law library collections and documents digitally available.

2014

Ebooks are acquired to allowing digital access to various books and volumes through computers or electronic devices.

1917

The Law School moved to Columbia Hall on Grace & Lombardy. Columbia Hall is the only building still remaining of the original Richmond College campus.

1920

The Law School is named in honor of Thomas C. Williams, Sr. and his family, whose generosity continued to benefit the Law School.

1928

The Law Library collection is expanded from 3,500 volumes to 7,500 to meet ABA accreditation. This photograph shows the Law School’s reading room in Columbia Hall.

1930

William Taylor Muse earns his LL.B. from Richmond College. He would later serve as the dean of the Law School for 24 years.

1938

Frances Farmer, the first woman to graduate from the T.C. Williams School of Law (class of 1933), becomes Assistant Law Librarian. She went on to be the law librarian at University of Virginia, where she worked for thirty years.

1947

William Taylor Muse becomes dean of the law school, serving in this position for 24 years. The Law Library would later be dedicated in his honor.

1949

Virginia Ivey becomes the Law School’s first full-time law librarian.

1952

Ellen M. Keene is appointed Law Librarian, serving until 1959.

1954

The Law School joins the University on the Westhampton campus after 37 years of separation. The new building was dedicated in 1954.

1959

José M. Cabanillas becomes the Law Librarian. Mr. Cabanillas had retired from the Navy, settled in Richmond and attended law school here. He held a BA from the Naval Academy and an MS from Yale. He retires in 1966.

1966

Jack S. Shackelton is appointed Law Librarian and serves until 1975. Mr. Shackleton had attended T.C. Williams School of Law upon his retirement from business.

1974

A fold-out map from the 1974 Law School catalog shows the layout of campus.

1975

Peter A. Frey is promoted from Assistant Law Librarian to Law Librarian. He holds both a JD and MLS.

1977

The Law Library begins cataloging and reclassification with OCLC (formerly Online Computer Library Center), using the terminal located in Boatwright Memorial Library.

1979

Leigh Morris (center) is appointed Director of the Law Library and Assistant Professor of Law. Ms. Morris holds both a JD and an MLS.

1979

The Law Library is named in honor of Dean William T. Muse. A graduate of both Richmond College and the Law School, Muse served as dean of T.C. Williams School of Law for 24 years, 1947-1971.

1981

Susan English is promoted from Assistant Law Librarian to Director of the Law Library. She serves in this position until 1990. Ms. English holds both a JD and an MLS.

1981

After a two-year campaign, the Muse Law Library renovation and addition is complete, and includes expanded space for the collection, student carrels, study rooms, and audio-visual and microfilm storage.

1981

The Law Library acquires a Lexis terminal, a computer-based information retrieval system.

1982

A comprehensive users’ guide is published for the first time to assist in the location of materials in the collection.

1982

The Muse Law Library becomes a US Government Depository Library, allowing library users free access to federally-published documents and publications.

1983

A newsletter is created for the Muse Law Library as a way to communicate to users the library’s available resources, staff, and new acquisitions.

1985

Three DEC Rainbow computers are added for student use, as well as three dot matrix printers. These are stationed in the space that formerly housed microforms.

1986

A Westlaw terminal is added to the Muse Law Library, expanding legal research capability for students.

1988

A computer lab opens in the Law Library, holding eight computers, two ThinkJet printers, and one laser printer.

1988

A telefax machine is acquired, opening up faster interlibrary loan communications and transactions.

1988

A LegalTrac PC, an automated index to legal periodicals, is added to Law Library.

1890

Class of 1890 - this year was significant as it marked the continuation of the Law School after a period of suspensions due to finances. A $25,000 professorship from Thomas C. Williams Sr.’s family ensured the Law School would continue.

1893

A law library is established in Jeter Memorial Hall. 700 books were donated by Harriet M. Purcell in honor of her brother Henry Heaton.

1889

Thomas C. Williams, Sr. attended Richmond College from 1846-1849 and was a successful tobacco merchant. Upon his death in 1889, his family provided a generous endowment to the Law School.

1870

The Law School is founded within Richmond College’s Central Building. The downtown campus was located on Grace Street between Broad and Franklin, Lombardy and Ryland.

2015

Upon Timothy Coggins’ retirement, Roger Skalbeck assumes the Associate Dean for Library and Information Services position. Mr. Skalbeck was formerly the Associate Law Librarian for Electronic Resources and Services at the Georgetown Law...

Since the establishment of the University Of Richmond School Of Law in 1870, the William Taylor Muse Law Library has grown from a collection of 700 books to more than 430,000 volumes of legal material. The Muse Law Library has embraced many changes over the years through the leadership of dedicated library directors and staff. This timeline reflects the development of the Muse Law Library’s service in providing legal information for law students and law faculty, along with the University of Richmond faculty and students, members of the local legal community, and the general public.

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2014

The Institutional Repository is developed to showcase faculty and student scholarship and to make other law library collections and documents digitally available.
2015

Upon Timothy Coggins’ retirement, Roger Skalbeck assumes the Associate Dean for Library and Information Services position. Mr. Skalbeck was formerly the Associate Law Librarian for Electronic Resources and Services at the Georgetown Law Center, as well as an Adjunct Professor of Law.
2015

Construction is completed for L31, the Muse Law Library's second classroom.
2015

Technical Services renovation begins in the fall of 2015.

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