During February 2025, BLS Library observes Black History Month, a celebration of the rich history, culture, and achievements of Black and African American communities. While its origins date back to historian Carter G. Woodson's efforts in the 1920s, the first Black History Month celebration took place in February 1970, at Kent State University. President Gerald Ford was the first President to officially recognize the observance of Black History Month in 1976. Congress took on the mantle in 1986 by passing Public Law 99-244 which designated February 1986 as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month.” Since 1996, Presidents have issued annual proclamations observing and celebrating National Black History Month.
Book Display (1st Floor):
To celebrate Black History Month 2025, the library has an array of books in our collection on display on the library’s first floor, near the circulation desk and alcove. On display are titles about BLS alumni including the first Black woman from Queens admitted to the New York bar, Florence Victoria Lucas ‘39 and former New York City Mayor, David Dinkins ‘56. We have books on Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, the history of the civil rights movement, Barack Obama, and more.
Digital Display
In addition to our physical book display, we also have a digital display of BLS Library resources relevant to Black History Month. Browse the titles in the digital display at https://guides.brooklaw.edu/digital_book_displays/Black_History_Month
Do come check out both our physical and digital displays! If there are additional resources that you think would be of interest to the BLS community, let us know at askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu
BLS Library recently switched to a new and improved format for our list of subscription databases. This updated list has new ways to search and filter results that we think you'll find helpful and easier to use.
You can find the new A-Z Databases list on our research guide homepage or at https://guides.brooklaw.edu/az/databases.
On the new list, you can now search by database name or keyword. Additionally, you can filter the list by database subject, such as international law or legislative history. You can also narrow down the list by types of databases or vendors.
We hope you like the new list. If you want to learn more about our databases or need research assistance, please reach out to us at askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu. We're here to help!