Picturing America for Public Libraries

The library used the pictures for story hours, ages 3-7. There are three that stand out: one on Lincoln and his life in Illinois; one on Lincoln's birthday with a cake and singing of happy birthday; and one on Paul Revere's ride. Although Revere's ride is not celebrated here as in Massachusetts, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere was read. The craft was to create his horse from long empty gift wrap rolls, horse heads drawn and cut out by the children and pasted to the rolls, and reigns of yarn. The children loved creating the horses and galloping through the library on them. The librarian said the children asked excellent questions and that they will never forget Paul Revere. The pictures were also exhibited for the kindergarten and second grade library tours. Pictures were also displayed at the Library Lincoln Lecture and a city Lincoln program. We had a wall display of American history with selected pictures from the county election to Selma.
Lincoln is the centerpiece in our library, just as one walks in the door. Lincoln was displayed with the corruption in politics before the war and with the soldiers returning to empty fields after the war and through Selma. Lincoln portrait was displayed with artifacts the library had copies of and books.

Submitted by Dorothy Siles