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 read.
We’ve talked before on here about how the Founding Fathers valued the freedom to write and print, but alongside that is also the freedom to read. The freedom to write and print satirical or critical material has no impact if nobody is then able to read it. Likewise, the freedom to learn that the Founding Fathers so valued also depends on the freedom to read. Thomas Jefferson once said, “A democracy cannot be both ignorant and free.” And what’s the best way to combat ignorance? You guessed it! Reading.
At the Berryville Library, 250 years after our nation’s founding, we have all sorts of resources and programs to help you exercise your freedom to read. Beyond all the books available for you to check out and read, we also have an annual summer program that you can sign up for now that lets you track your summer reading and win prizes. You can even guess how many books are in the library as part of the fun.
We also have book clubs for all ages that can help you expand your reading horizons, and we provide reader’s advisory services that can help you find more of what you like to read. We also have an ongoing monthly series here on the blog that explores different genres to help you find new genres and authors to try.
Thank you, America!
What’s your favorite book to read? Tell us in the comments!
Berryville Book Buzz 