On Wednesday, February 18 at 6:30 p.m., Patten Free Library will mark the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War with an engaging presentation that explores Lincoln, the man and the myth. From humble beginnings to the national stage, Lincoln’s views on slavery, race and how best to preserve the union were constantly evolving. Through primary documents and thought-provoking activities, participants will discover how his early years as a laborer and a lawyer in frontier America, and the relationships he formed there, shaped his policies in Washington and prepared him to lead a nation through its darkest hours.

Erin I. Bishop is a museum consultant with more than fifteen years’ experience in Museum Education, Exhibits and Interpretive Programming and the founder of Clio, a Museum Consulting firm specializing in interpretative development, educational programming, historic research and commemorative event planning. From 2005-2009 she served as the Director of Education for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. Bishop is currently the Director of the Association of Maine Archives and Museums, a membership organization of some 300-plus collecting institutions throughout Maine. She is currently working with the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in developing an online educational resource for high-school students entitled “Illinois: From Slavery to Freedom.” In addition she has developed exhibits and education programs for Skyline Farm Carriage Museum in North Yarmouth, Maine, and served as the project coordinator of Experience Maritime Maine!, a project for Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine. She holds undergraduate degrees in History and French, obtained her masters and doctorate in history from University College Dublin, Ireland and is the author of two books and numerous articles.