The Plainfield Public Library was given this special Civil Rights Collection in July, 2000 by Ross A. Nielsen to commemorate the life of Jeanne Smith Nielsen and her lifelong commitment to human rights, human dignity and the development of humane values and consciousness among all the people of the earth.

The collection includes books on African-American history and literature, Arab-American history, Holocaust history and the Civil Rights struggle, as well as books containing information about many cultures. Books continue to be added as new titles are discovered that fit into the human rights category.