Davis Library Closed for Presidents' Day Holiday Weekend

Just a reminder…

In observance of the Presidents’ Day Holiday Weekend, Davis Library will be CLOSED all day Saturday, February 16^th & Sunday, February 17^th and during the daytime hours of Monday, February 18^th.

Davis Library will REOPEN for evening hours from 5-10 p.m. on Monday, January 18, 2013 (Presidents’ Day.)

While the official federal holiday celebrated on third Monday of February is actually Washington’s Birthday in honor of George Washington, our nation’s first president, who was born February 22, 1732, its celebration is also associated with birthdate of Abraham Lincoln, our 16^th President who was born February 12, 1809.   

More recently, the observance has been expanded to recognize and honor the Office of the Presidency and the important role that position plays in the governing of our country. 

Want to learn more about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or other Presidents of the United States of America?  Take a few minutes to make some new discoveries by checking out the following Websites and digital collections:

• George Washington’s Papers 1741- 1799 at the Library of Congress - Collection from the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress that provides to a wide range of documents related to George Washington’s life from youth to adulthood.
• George Washington’s Mount Vernon  - Website for estate (now museum) that George Washington called home for over 40 years that provides a number of Education Resources for teachers, students and anyone wanting to learn more about the president—his life and times.
• Abraham Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War: A Collection of Digitized Books - Biographies of and writings by Abraham Lincoln and his contemporaries; works pertaining to slavery in the United States and to the American Civil War. The collection is a subset of the University of Illinois Digitized Books Collection found on Illinois Harvest, a large-scale digital initiative started to expand access to digital resources available about  the state of Illinois—its history and people.
• Lincoln/Net – Digitization project of the Northern Illinois University presenting historical materials from Abraham Lincoln's Illinois years (1830-1861.)
• Lincoln at 200 - A collaborative virtual exhibit of the Newberry Library and the Chicago History Museum in celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
• The White House  - Official U.S. Government Website for Executive Office of the President that provides details on a wide ranges of the activities of the Executive Branch of our government including some historical information on past presidents and “About the White House” itself.  
• Inaugurations - A Presentation and Activities site offered through the Library of Congress’s Teachers and Classroom Materials pages on their Website that includes guidelines on how to utilize Library of Congress and other government resources such as "I Do Solemnly Swear… Presidential Inaugurations" for instruction purposes.
• Miller Center - A nonpartisan institute located at the University of Virginia that seeks to expand understanding of the presidency, policy, and political history, providing critical insights for the nation’s governance challenges.  Its Presidential Recording Program offers access to transcripts and audio clips from secret White House tapes from 1940-1973 detail meetings and conversations of six different presidents.  The site also features a Presidential Oral History Project and Presidential Classroom with virtual Exhibits and Lesson Plans to help create an interactive web learning experience for teachers and students.  Website works best using the browser Internet Explorer.

Have any questions about these various resources or the Davis Library’s holiday closings and hours?  Be sure to “Ask Us!”

 

Enjoy a great holiday weekend!