Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library! We have no events scheduled for the week of July 4. We will be closed on Monday, July 5, to allow everyone to enjoy their holiday weekend, and we’ll reopen on Tuesday, July 6. The week of July 11, we will resume our exciting summer events.
While we may not have events for a bit, we do have a cool display about voting that you can actually come view now. This installation celebrates the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment, which prohibited the denial of any citizens’ right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This was a huge boon to voting rights for all Americans. The display focuses on the struggle for the right to vote throughout our country’s history and the big wins gained along the way. Please stop in and check out this awesome piece about an integral part of our history.
In honor of the 4th of July, I thought it might be fun to share some facts about America’s founding and the corresponding time period. For instance, did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted our national bird to be the turkey, not the bald eagle? What do you think we would have for Thanksgiving dinner instead? A common misconception is that the 4th of July is when the Declaration of Independence was signed and our independence officially declared. Technically, we declared our independence on July 2, 1776, but July 4, 1776, was when Thomas Jefferson’s document, the Declaration of Independence, was ratified by Congress. The 4th of July can be seen as the day on which the movement towards true independence actually began. One more fun fact is about our first president, George Washington. Did you know he never had wooden teeth? In fact, it seems his fake teeth were made of almost anything else, from horse, donkey, and human teeth to ivory, copper, and gold sets. He tried on a lot of different teeth, but none ever made of wood.
Keep an eye on our Facebook and our website, greatbendpl.info, for upcoming programs and updates. You can also message us on Facebook or email us at gbcirc@gmail.com. We can also be reached via phone at 620-792-2409. Hannah Grippin, outreach manager at Great Bend Public Library.
