This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It’s an important historical birthday for the United States, and we will be celebrating it all year-round with our new Free to Be series. With respect to Marlo Thomas, our Free to Be posts will be celebrating unique freedoms we enjoy as Americans. And this month, we’re looking at how we’re free to grow.
Thomas Jefferson famously references “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” as “unalienable rights” in the opening of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence is not legally binding like the US Constitution, but in outlining the reasons the Founding Fathers revolted against King George, it provided a lasting guiding philosophy for the young country.
In 21st century America, we probably interpret “the pursuit of Happiness” differently than 18th century colonists did. We usually think of happiness in terms of joy, but according to most scholars, the likely meaning for the time period is more along the lines of self-improvement and character building because the Founding Fathers connected happiness with virtue. Therefore, Jefferson and his other contemporaries firmly believed it was a fundamental human right to have the freedom to pursue individual personal growth.
At the Berryville Library, 250 years after our nation’s founding, we support both the 18th century definition of the pursuit of happiness and the 21st century version. We have loads of resources to help you grow, whether it’s books on self-help to help you in navigating personal challenges, education and career books to help you plan your future, hobby books to help you develop your interests, or fun novels to bring you joy. (Or maybe angst, depending on what novel you’re reading. 🙂 )
We also have lots of programs, whether it’s STEM maker programs for kids or storytimes and book clubs for all ages that also help you grow and meet new friends. We also have some unique services like Who’s Hiring for those looking to grow professionally with a new job and the Berryville Business Boost for entrepreneurs who want to start or grow a small business. And, of course, we are celebrating our freedom to grow as we look forward to opening our new, much larger library later this summer.
Thank you, America!
What’s your favorite way to grow at the library? What’s your favorite self-help book? Tell us in the comments!
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