The Rolland Center
For Lincoln Research
Welcome to the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research
The center is free and open 7 days a week
Events & Programs
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NOW
ON DISPLAY
Lincoln Collection Items
The Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection and the Friends of the Lincoln Collection opened the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research in January of 2022. The Center provides a space to explore the Lincoln Collection through a variety of physical displays, digital kiosks, and even a projection room that shows collection items in 180 degrees.
06/19/25
EVENT
The Emancipation Proclamation
Join us for the annual Rolland Lecture featuring a special program for Juneteenth. Enjoy a panel of educators and historians who chat about how the Emancipation Proclamation came to Indiana, and how the Lincoln Legacy Curriculum continues to teach its meaning.
Missed the event? You can watch it online by clicking Learn More below!
06/26/25
ON DISPLAY
Black Franchise: The Fifteenth Amendment and the Right to Vote
At the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research in the Allen County Public Library’s Main downtown location, we’re honoring the historic milestone that was the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. From June 26 through September 29, 2025, visitors can enjoy a celebration of Black male Americans winning the franchise—the right to vote. Fine art lithographs from the popular illustrated magazine Harper’s Weekly will be on display alongside a speech arguing for universal suffrage, a photograph of Frederick Douglass beside his signature, and depictions of Columbia, a female figure as the personification of liberty.
02/28/25
ON DISPLAY
April 1865
At the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research in the Allen County Public Library, a new exhibit spotlights the events of April 1865. Here at the 160th anniversary of the fall of the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Union general Ulysses S. Grant, and President Lincoln’s assassination, the exhibit explores a pivotal month at the close of the Civil War.
Meet Our Lincoln Librarians
Jessie Cortesi
Senior Lincoln Librarian
Jessie Cortesi holds an MA in History and a MLIS from IUPUI. She stewards the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, curates exhibits for all audiences, offers tours, and creates programming centered on Abraham Lincoln’s life and times. Her first exhibit received a GEMmy Award from the Midwest Travel Journalists Association naming the Rolland Center an outstanding visitor attraction. She was awarded the Lincoln Forum’s 2023 Ross Heller Fellowship, an experience that deepened her passion for the study of the Civil War.
Abbie Meek
Senior Lincoln Librarian
Abbie Meek is a native of Northeast Indiana with a passion for helping others research and access history. She earned her BA in History from Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne and her Master's in Library and Information Science at IUPUI. While obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she worked at Helmke Library. Since joining the Rolland Center, Abbie has guided tours, curated exhibits, created educational resources, and helped inquiring minds explore the renowned collection to discover Abraham Lincoln's life and times.
Sarah Schoolman
Educational Outreach Coordinator
Sarah Schoolman holds a BS in Elementary Education from Eureka College and a MS.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Purdue University Fort Wayne. Sarah brings a wealth of experience to her role and a proven track record in teaching upper elementary grades, crafting engaging curriculum, and mentoring both aspiring and current educators. She is a lifelong learner with a passion for sharing the compelling stories of Abraham Lincoln and his contemporaries through the vast resources of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection.
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