In 1972, the Federal Judicial Center established a Media Library in its Division of Continuing Education and Training so that federal court personnel, using equipment in their home court, could hear taped lectures-on topics of special interest, most of them recorded at Center seminars and workshops, some produced commercially. The value of the Library has grown as the costs of bringing people to seminars has grown. Too, the growing complexity and sophistication of the seminars and workshops make it increasingly valuable for participants to have the opportunity to review, in a more leisurely setting, a program they may have heard in person.

Originally the Library maintained and circulated only audio cassettes. In recent years the Media Library has expanded its lending resources in both number and kind. Approximately 450 audio cassettes dealing with a wide range of specialized topics are currently available. In addition, the collection includes some 85 films and 50 video cassettes.

The Library contains presentations by judges, academicians in law and law-related disciplines, and practitioners in almost all aspects of the federal judicial system. They address a broad spectrum of subjects, including a wide variety of substantive legal areas, civil and criminal case management, and the use of technology. Other topics range from professional responsibility and ethics to effective time management and techniques of supervision.