Mike Widener, Rare Book Librarian (Retired)
Yale Law School Library
U.S. Advisor, Mayfair Rare Books & Manuscripts
In person, at the San Francisco Law Library
Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Noon to 1:00pm
Law’s Picture Books: Visual Culture & Legal Publishing
*Please RSVP to sflawlibrary@sfgov.org*
415-554-1772
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: In his fifteen years as the Yale Law Library’s Rare Book Librarian, Mike Widener assembled a unique collection of over a thousand law books with illustrations. In his illustrated talk, he will explain why and how he built the collection, give a taste of the variety of law-related book illustrations, and suggest what we can learn from them.
SPEAKER BIO: Mike Widener retired from the Yale Law Library in 2021 after fifteen years as its Rare Book Librarian. Prior to that, he served as the Head of Special Collections in the University of Texas Law Library for fifteen years. From 2010 to 2024, he taught the week-long course, “Law Books: History & Connoisseurship,” in the University of Virginia’s Rare Book School. He and his wife Emma have also worked as consultants to law libraries in the U.S., Mexico, and Australia.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Approximately 60 seat capacity.
Programs are free & open to everyone.
San Francisco Law Library, 1145 Market Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
Civic Center Bart & Muni stops outside the building, between 7th & 8th
sf.gov/sflawlibrary
Details
Date and time
Cost
FreeLocation
Floor 4
San Francisco, CA 94103