More July 4

Here's a link from the Library of Congress web page to a fragment of Thomas Jefferson's first draft of the Declaration of Independence.

We know bits of the Declaration of Independence-- 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness' but here's link to hearing the entire Declaration read by broadcasters of NPR's Morning Edition news program. They've been reading this for many years...it's very moving, and takes about nine minutes to listen to.

U.S. History.org is another good site for history related information and includes information of versions and revisions on the Declaration before the final draft.

July 4

Celebrate!

July 4, or Independence Day, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.

The Revolutionary War was fought to cement this declaration. Led by George Washington, the war against the British went on until 1783.

In the United States, July 4 is a federal holiday. Americans celebrate our nation's birthday with parades, picnics, fireworks and patriotic displays.

Books on the history of the United States can be found in the 973 non-fiction section.

Flag Day

We pledge allegiance to the flag...did you know that June 14 is Flag Day in the United States? The Second Continental Congress adopted the flag of the U.S. on this day in 1777.

President Woodrow Wilson officially established June 14 as Flag day in 1916 by proclamation. In 1949 Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.

The National Flag Day Foundation works to make known the history of our flag.

Medical information online

You'll see a new online information source on the New River webpage: Magill's Medical Guide. This guide provides authoritative up-to-date information on a wide variety of medical issues. You can read the entire article on line or print it. From home, login with your public library barcode number.

Summer Library Programs

The libraries are busy getting ready for summer programs. Each has a great schedule of programs of interest to children and teens to keep them reading during the summer. Books, stories, activities and performers are planned. Check the schedule on our webpage or pick up a copy at the library.

Programs start in June and continue through July. Dates and times vary at each library.

Studies show that children who participate in summer library programs increase their vocabulary and reading comprehension scores. We want to keep children reading so they don’t lose their reading proficiency while on summer vacation.

And of course, we want children to enjoy summer library programs and reading.