Enjoy stories, songs and rhymes that build early literacy skills and spark imagination. This program is designed for children ages three to six and their caregivers, but all are welcome. In celebration of our Unearth a Story summer programs, this week's theme is America250.

After Story Time, stay to play, explore and connect with other families. Hands-on activities encourage learning through play — and you’re welcome to come just for Stay and Play if you can’t make it to Story Time!

In celebration of the U.S. Semiquincentennial, take a look back at the key moments that led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the people who help shape our nation's history.

This program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

About the Speaker

Dr. Andrea Oliver is a professor of American history at Tallahassee State College. She is an accomplished historian, educator, and emerging public scholar whose career reflects a deep commitment to teaching, community engagement, and the preservation of African American history.

This project was funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Florida’s LSTA program is administered by the Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services.

Enjoy stories, songs and rhymes that build early literacy skills and spark imagination. This program is designed for children ages three to six and their caregivers, but all are welcome. In celebration of our Unearth a Story summer programs, this week's theme is America250.

After Story Time, stay to play, explore and connect with other families. Hands-on activities encourage learning through play — and you’re welcome to come just for Stay and Play if you can’t make it to Story Time!

Enjoy songs, rhymes and stories that support your baby’s early language and literacy development. This program is designed for children from birth to age two and their caregivers, but all are welcome. In celebration of our Unearth a Story summer programs, this week's theme is America250.

After Story Time, stay to play, explore and connect with other families. Hands-on activities encourage learning through play — and you’re welcome to come just for Stay and Play if you can’t make it to Story Time.

Join us as we chat with award-winning historian David O. Stewart about his newest work, The Democracy We Must Keep, and the question he explores throughout the book: What did America's founders say about democracy, and can we remain true to their vision for America?

Two hundred fifty years ago, passionate men attempted to create something the world had never seen before: a nation built not on kings or armies, but on ideas where the people ruled.

In The Democracy We Must Keep, historian David O. Stewart takes readers inside the nine key documents that shaped the formation of the United States—from Patrick Henry's thunderous cry for liberty to the carefully crafted design of a government chosen by the people, with limits on all officials holding power under the Constitution.

Through the words of seven visionary founders—Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, and others—Stewart shows how a fragile experiment in self-government took shape.

These men were not saints. They argued passionately. They worried that the new nation might fall apart. Yet together, they forged the principles that must still define American democracy:

• Power must be limited.
• Leaders must answer to the people.
• Individual rights must be protected by law.

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, The Democracy We Must Keep urges readers to rediscover core ideas that built the nation—and to consider what it will take to protect them.

Register for this virtual Author Talk at LeonCountyLibrary.org/AuthorTalks. 

View upcoming Author Talk programs and recordings of past talks at LeonCountyLibrary.org/AuthorTalks. 

The Author Talk series is sponsored by the Friends of the Leon County Public Library.