KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 23, 2024

Highlights from Constitution Week 2024

The University Libraries, in collaboration with Museums, Archives and Rare Books (MARB), had a fabulous Constitution Week by hosting five events from September 16 to 20. 

On Monday, September 16, the Sturgis Library hosted a full house for a faculty panel presented by the School of Government and Internal Affairs. Drs. Snook, Kersey, and Pieper spoke on the 25th Amendment and Presidential Succession.

National Voter Registration Day was Tuesday, September 17, and we hosted a voter registration drive in front of the Sturgis Library in collaboration with the Department of Student Leadership. Many students were able to register to vote or check their voter registration status. James and Dolley Madison were our special guests, but the highlight of the day for students was Summer the Constitution Corgi (and library therapy dog and mascot). Summer posed for photos and spread cheer in her patriotic bowtie and hat.

On Thursday, September 19, we hosted two events in the Sturgis Library. The first was the unveiling of our newly restored Declaration of Independence in front of a room full of patrons, donors and special guests. 

KSU President Kathy Schwaig, along with Christopher Davidson who serves as State Archivist and Associate Vice Chancellor with the Georgia Archives, unveiled the rare 1840s facsimile, which is one of the most valuable printings of this document in the state of Georgia. The event also premiered our newest exhibition, We the People: The Documents That Made Our Nation, that was funded from an award KSU won for last year’s event by the American Library Association and emphasizes the power of print during our nation’s struggle for freedom and change. 

 

Check out the coverage from Atlanta News First about the event, https://bit.ly/ANFCWDoI.

The second event on Thursday was our signature student event where we invited our campus community to travel with us to the eighteenth-century through deep immersion in newspapers, rare books, manuscripts, and artifacts from this fascinating time. In addition, participants were able to practice their calligraphy skills, find out which founding father they would have been, play Constitution trivia, take photos with James & Dolley Madison, and participate in a scavenger hunt.

Our final event, (Dog &) Donuts for Democracy, was held in the Wilson Student Center on the Marietta campus, again in partnership with the Department of Student Leadership. Summer the Corgi was the main event for students as we registered more voters, handed out stickers and snacks.

It was a fantastic week celebrating our country’s history and encouraging this generation to exercise their right to vote. If you attended any of our events and took photos, please post them to your Instagram and tag @ksulibraries.