The Bookmark Project: July

Photo illustration by Stacy Reich

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men

are created equal.

     —Abraham Lincoln, “Gettysburg Address.”  November 19, 1863

When Abraham Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the midst of the Civil War, the deadliest war in American history, he reminded us of our roots, our shared belief in equality, freedom and opportunity for all as articulated in the Declaration of Independence, our nation’s founding document, adopted by the Second Continental Congress 87 years earlier on July 4, 1776. Signed and ratified by delegates representing each of the thirteen American colonies, the document declared the colonies to be “Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown.” As a nation, we have been commemorating this historic event ever since, gathering with friends, family and neighbors for backyard barbecues, parades and fireworks displays in celebration of the ideals on which the United States of America was founded, including these words written by Thomas Jefferson: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Happy 249th birthday, America! The Friends wishes you a happy Fourth of July!

The Bookmark Project is an ongoing effort by Friends Bookstore volunteers to collect all items left in donated books. We are incredibly grateful to our book donors as they allow us to offer gently used books to the public at affordable prices which in turn allows us to fund major library programs and projects. Please enjoy this collection of found items, and visit our bookstore, Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., closed Monday. (For more information, call us at 561-544-8596 and press 9.) 

To read about the origin of The Bookmark Project, click here: https://www.bocalibraryfriends.org/post/the-bookmark-project-by-stacy-reich