On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. We celebrate the Fourth of July as Independence Day, the birthday of the United States of America.
Independence Day — Learn more about the history of this patriotic holiday, and find ideas for ways to celebrate, including crafts, recipes and more
Summer, At Last! — It’s summer, time to head to the beach, the pool, the park, the tennis court or your own backyard.
Celebrate the beginning of summer with a look back at Massachusetts summers past with pictures from our member libraries, the NOBLE’ Digital Library and the Digital Commonwealth.
The stars and stripes design of the American flag was adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The anniversary of this date was first celebrated in the late nineteenth century.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that June 14 should be observed as Flag Day. In a 1917 speech, President Wilson said, “We celebrate the day of the flag’s birth, and from its birth until now it has witnessed great history, has floated on high, the symbol of great events, of a great plan of life, worked out by a great people.”
Flag Day — Recommended links for more information about Flag Day
NextReads E-Mail Newsletters — Our NextReads service has added two new newsletters. New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers and New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestsellers include the top 15 titles in each category along with the short description provided by the New York Times. Both will be distributed to subscribers weekly, and are sent out on Wednesdays.
Subscribing to the New York Times Bestseller lists is as easy as subscribing to any of the other NextReads newsletters. No library card is necessary, only an email address. Newsletters link directly to our library catalog, so subscribers can easily place a request for a title.
We now have twenty-five NextReads newsletters on various topics and genres, including Biography and Memoir, Fantasy, Tween Reads, Mystery, Nature and Science, and Audiobooks.If you’d prefer to just check these out online, you’ll find the current and back issues of all the NextReads newsletters here: NextReads Newsletters
Subscribe to NextReads E-Mail Newsletters — See the list of newsletters, preview and sign up
What does spring mean to you — baseball, field and track, gardening?
Check out this online exhibit with old and new pictures of spring in Massachusetts, featuring images from NOBLE member libraries and from the statewide Digital Commonwealth.
