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Escape Experiences at the Indiana State Library – Can you “Escape” too? March 16, 2026

Celebrating America's 250th Birthday

America's 250th

America’s 250th

  • Last Updated: August 07, 2026
  • Published: March 16, 2026

As we gear up for the 250th anniversary of our Nation’s founding, the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) is excited to assist FDLP libraries with America 250 resources and showcase your activities and libraries. Explore and order free promotional resources from GPO to give to patrons.

Celebratory Resources

Events & Activities Shared by FDLs

Looking for ideas on how to celebrate America 250 at your library? Assembled here is a sampling of the many ways in which depository libraries are commemorating this important moment in U.S. history. 

  • The Denison University Libraries in Granville, Ohio have been celebrating America 250 by creating monthly displays that follow the Ohio 250 celebration themes, set out here. Their team installed displays focused on highlighting local history that fits the Ohio 250 themes each month. The displays consist of three cases on the library's main floor and one case on an upper floor. Their displays focus on Ohio's contributions to America's history. The display uses Ohio census data from 1860 and 2024 to illustrate the way jobs and classifications have changed over time. They have highlighted Denison and Ohio authors for May's Arts, Culture & Literature theme and told the story of Ohio's canals, railroads, and local transportation efforts in April for Ohio Moves. In February they created captions about inventors with ties to Denison University such as the Wright Brothers, Edward Deeds, and Games Slayter.
  • The staff at the Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central created an excellent book display focused on civil rights in American history with the added bonus of FDLP promotional items included.
  • The Oklahoma State University Edmon Low Library celebrated the 250th birthday of the U.S. with a program highlighting the dedication of the Declaration of Independence in calligraphy to the Library by artist Ken Brown. Joined by OSU President Jim Hess and the Dean of the OSU Libraries Sheila Johnson, speakers described the meaning of the Declaration of Independence and its impact at the beginning of our nation and over time. In addition to the artwork, an 1833 version of the Declaration printed in American Archives, Fifth Series, created from an engraved copper plate, was on display.
  • The Free Library of Philadelphia is hosting programming throughout 2026. Here is a sample of their celebratory events and exhibits: Philadelphia For the People Exhibition, Special Collections Open House, Make Your Own WPA Poster, and Bricks, Mortar, and the Mystic Chords of Memory: How Buildings Help Us Remember. 
  • The University of Puerto Rico, Law Library is hosting a special exhibition, inviting their community to reflect on the nation's history, founding principles, and enduring commitment to liberty, democracy, and the rule of law. Their display highlights significant moments, historical documents, and educational resources that commemorate the journey of the United States since the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Check out the photos in the gallery below.
  • The University of the South’s duPont Library is celebrating with a display highlighting Sewanee connections in Government Documents. From notable alumni aiding presidents or fighting yellow fever at the Panama Canal to the planting of a "Moon Tree" from NASA's Apollo 14, Sewanee's history and American history are inextricably interwoven.
  • The J. D. Williams Library at the University of Mississippi created a historical display accompanied by FDLP giveaways to commemorate the Nation’s birthday.
  • The Delta College Library in University Center, MI, in collaboration with New York’s Brooklyn Public Library, created a display celebrating America’s 250th birthday with Government documents and notable books. Delta College Library invites patrons to take a reading road trip through 250 Years of American History and Stories. The library is also hosting a special crafting event, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Crafts!” Patrons can stop by the library and make a patriotic bead keepsake.
  • Arizona’s Apache Junction Public Library is hosting a variety of events for patrons. This spring, patrons were encouraged to write postcards for military service members. Visitors to the library were able to design one of 325 canvas squares to contribute to a huge American flag display. The library hosted presentation from a local history expert about the Declaration of Independence. Members of the community were also invited to the library to pick up a flag and participate in a celebratory flag waving event to create a sea of red, white, and blue.
  • The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries invites the campus community to explore an exhibit featuring books, photographs, and historical information to commemorate America’s 250th.
  • The University of South Alabama, Marx Library is showcasing a display focusing on primary sources, with special attention on Chronicling America and other Library of Congress resources. In their words, this display invites patrons to “experience our nation's foundational milestones through the eyes of the people who lived them. By pairing America’s core founding documents with historic newspapers, broadsides, and primary sources from various government agencies, we trace the "first draft of history." Step back in time to see how the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were first typeset, read aloud in town squares, and debated in local columns. Discover how ink and paper fueled a revolution and continue to shape the American story today.”
  • Illinois State University is partnering with the McLean County Museum of History for a walking tour, “The ISU Quad: Gateway to America 250 and the Wider World.” The fun and fact-filled stroll will address how ISU’s Quad connects to the nation’s promises, challenges, struggles, tragedies, and triumphs over the past 250 years.
  • Staff from the New Jersey State Library’s Research Library, in partnership with the NJ State Archives, have created a digital exhibit, NJ250: Living Documents, Evolving Rights. It explores NJ’s three constitutional eras and traces their changes over time. Featured primary documents, court cases, and historical events highlight how the freedoms, rights, and representation of the people of NJ and the United States have evolved since 1776. Additionally, the library is offering a Revolutionary War research guide to assist users in finding resources within their collections related to the American Revolution. This research guide highlights FDLP materials found in their U.S. Documents collection.
  • The Tulsa City-County Library is developing an exhibit for summer 2026. Their Government Information Librarian selected various documents from their vast physical collection to showcase, paired with newspaper articles from their local papers regarding the event. The investigations into the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. are some of the documents that will be displayed. There will be sticky notes available for viewers to leave their comments, memories, family stories, etc. about the exhibit and the events therein.
  • New Mexico State Library created an America 250 craft: Pocket Constitution earrings! Learn how to create your own.
  • East Tennessee State University’s Sherrod Library held a Rare Collections event where they created an exhibit using the library’s collections and invited the public to walk through for a guided tour. The collections included Government publications, such as the Congressional Record from multiple years where Congress read George Washington’s farewell address, historic USGS quadrangle maps, and a collection of documents published by the Smithsonian Institution’s Bureau of American Ethnology. Follow the guided tour through Sherrod Library’s Facebook reel.
  • The Indiana State Library is hosting a U.S. 250 Trivia event. This free lunchtime game will test participants’ knowledge of American history. The winner will receive tickets that can be redeemed for any of the Indiana State Museum’s 12 historical sites.
  • At the University of Pennsylvania, partners across the university are exploring how history can help us better understand the present and create a sustainable and inclusive future. View their America 250 at Penn web pages.
  • The State Library of Kansas offers patrons helpful starting points to understand the Semiquincentennial on their website’s America 250 resources page.
  • Ohio’s Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library is hosting events and exhibits across their 41 branches. View their America 250 page.
  • The State Library of Pennsylvania invites you to engage with its unique collections and explore what Pennsylvania was like 250 years ago, when leaders gathered in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776, through their digital collections
  • The Texas State Library and Archives Commission launched exciting statewide programs reaching all 254 counties, bringing the Texas America250 celebration to every part of the Lone Star State. Texans are invited to join TSLAC’s statewide Texas America250 Reading Challenge. TSLAC is also encouraging Texans to visit their local libraries to view traveling exhibits on loan throughout 2026—nearly 700 sets have been distributed to libraries, schools, and museums across the state. Traveling Texas America250 exhibits highlight historically significant Texas Treasures from TSLAC’s collections, many of which are also on public display throughout 2026 as part of their Texas America250 lobby exhibit in Austin. Watch the traveling exhibits video and the kids’ traveling exhibits video and view their main lobby exhibit video. A suite of promotional content for libraries and community organizations can be found on the Texas America250 Downloads page. This includes posters, bookmarks, coloring pages, digital graphics, reading challenge participation guidelines, and a reading log map. TSLAC also provides media kits to participating libraries, helping them promote their traveling exhibits and the reading challenge in local newspapers, radio, TV, etc. Download PDFs: Texas America 250: Reading Challenge Media Mentions and TSLAC Texas America 250 Traveling Exhibits.
  • Numerous FDLP libraries have created America 250 LibGuides. Check these out:

FDLP Impacts on U.S. History

The Federal Depository Library Program has made lasting impacts on the U.S. and its citizenry since its early developmental days back to 1813.

  • Illinois State University
    • Established in 1857, Illinois State University is the oldest public university in Illinois. Abraham Lincoln drew up the bond and the bill of sale documents for the property that became the University campus.
    • From the University’s founding, Government publications have played an important role in the University’s library. Over half of the original holdings were Government publications donated by members of Congress representing Illinois:
    • In March 1858, Owen Lovejoy designated the University Library as a Federal depository. Though that designation lapsed during the Civil War, in 1877, Senator Richard Oglesby re-designated the University Library as a depository. Milner Library will be celebrating its 150th anniversary as a Federal depository in November 2027.

    • Among the library’s holdings are nineteenth-century Government publications written by scientists associated with University’s early history. Prominent examples include:

      They were members of the Illinois Natural History Society (INHS), an organization that was located and founded at the University in 1858. These leaders of the INHS contributed to Government-funded research that was subsequently published in agency reports and distributed to depository libraries. Two important contributors working in the INHS/ISLNH that led to its successes were Rachel Fell Treakle and Ange. V. Milner.

    • Another notable figure connecting Illinois State University with the nation’s past is William Saunders.
  • The James C. Jernigan Library at Texas A&M University-Kingsville
    • Famous author James Michener, known for his long fictional family saga books, visited the Library in 1984 and was the keynote speaker at the library's third floor dedication ceremony. “Libraries "represent an individual's right to acquire knowledge; they are the sinews that bind civilized societies the world over. Without libraries, I would be a pauper, intellectually and spiritually." - James Michener
  • Purdue University
    • Purdue University Libraries has been part of the FDLP since 1907 and has many historical connections to NASA and the space program. Neil Armstrong, the first individual to touch the moon's surface on Apollo 11 in 1969, was a Purdue graduate. The Libraries have extensive collections of his papers Neil A. Armstrong papers - Purdue e-Archives. The Libraries’ Barron Hilton Flight and Space Archives Flight and Space Exploration Archives contain an extensive treasure trove of materials, including the world's most comprehensive Amelia Earhart collections. During the 1930's, Earhart provided guidance on careers for women at Purdue. Purdue University purchased the Lockheed Electra Aircraft she flew in when the plane disappeared in 1937 in the South Pacific. If the plane is recovered Expedition to search for Amelia Earhart’s plane postponed to 2026 - News Purdue would have first rights to taking possession of the aircraft.
    • Purdue's status as Indiana's Land-Grant university has produced multiple contributions in agriculture that have impacted the U.S. and the world. Three individuals from Purdue are World Food Prize Laureates.
    • Many of our country’s leaders have worked at Purdue. Purdue’s Dean of Agriculture and Professor, Earl Butz, served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1971-1976. Purdue President France Cordova (2007-2012) directed the National Science Foundation from 2014-2020, and Purdue President Mitch Daniels (2013-2023) directed the Office of Management & Budget from 2001-2003. Purdue’s School of Business Dean, Jim Bullard, was a former President of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank. Purdue’s Engineering Professor Arvind Raman was nominated by President Trump to lead the Commerce Dept's National Institute on Standards and Technology (NIST). His confirmation hearing was held by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and was approved by this committee March 12. In addition, 43 Purdue-affiliated witnesses have testified before Congressional committees/subcommittees since 2000.

Share with GPO

Please consider sharing with GPO:

  • America 250 Plans & Visuals:
    • A brief overview of your planned America 250 plans, events, and resources
    • Photos of activities, media, staff preparation, or displays (online and in the library)
  • Historic anecdotes:
    • Brief stories of how your library has impacted the Nation
    • Notable visitors to your library over time
    • Moments in U.S. history in which your library has played a role in your community

Showcasing FDLP Libraries: America250

  • As we gear up for the 250th anniversary of our Nation’s founding, the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) is excited to assist FDLP libraries with America250 resources… ... Read More

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