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Constitution Day 2023

Constitution Day on September 17 commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave people in 1787 and recognizes those who have become U.S. citizens through coming of age or naturalization. Celebrate this historic day with resources available at the Library!

We the People U.S. Pocket Constitutions
Celebrate the penning of the U.S. Constitution by picking up a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution from your local library beginning Wed., Sept 13, while supplies last.

Recommended Resources

Use your library card to check out books and eBooks exploring the Constitution and its history through different lenses.

A Young Reader's Edition of Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story by McClay, Wilfred M.
Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution by Mystal, Elie
OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-boring Guide to How Our Democracy is Supposed to Work by Sheehan, ben
Ordinary Equality: The Fearless Women and Queer People Who Shaped the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Rights Amendment by Kelly, Kat; art by LaRue, Nicole
For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why it Matters by Foster, Jeff
eBooks available with your library card through OverDrive or by using the Libby app:
- Two Revolutions and the Constitution by D.R. Philips, James
- The United States Constitution (this title is always available)
- The Great Debate – Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution by Thomas Pangle, The Great Courses

Enjoy a selection of documentaries with your library card on Kanopy, including:

Take an in-depth look at the history of the U.S. Constitution with these web resources:

Britannica Kids: United States Constitution
Spark young learners’ curiosity about the U.S. Constitution.
History.com: This Day in History: U.S. Constitution Signed
Enjoy an overview of the efforts that went into the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
National Archives: Constitution of the United States – A History
Dive into this in-depth look at the Constitutional Convention and the process of creating the U.S. Constitution.
National Archives: The First Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
Discover some of the first changes made to the U.S. Constitution and learn about the development of the Bill of Rights.
U.S. History in Context database: Constitution and the Bill of Rights (you must be in a Pikes Peak Library District location or have a library card starting with the number 4 to access).
Explore the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the cultural pressures involved in its development.

Take and Make: Rainbow Spinner

Materials for this Take and Make project, for ages 5-12, will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, August, 11, 2023.

Materials and Directions:

Materials we provide:

Paper strips and circles

Glue Dots

Skewer

Materials you provide:

Scissors

Glue Stick

Glue gun, optional (for adult use)

Pin, optional

Pencil, optional

Directions: click on the file link below to see more information.
1. Cover the back side of a circle with glue and attach 2 of the strips directly across from each other. Add more glue and 2 more strips. Continue until you have all 8 strips evenly spaced.
Put glue on the back of another circle and use it to cover your strips to secure them in place.

2. Do the same with your remaining circles and the other ends of your strips.

3. Poke a hole through the center of each hole. Use a pin to start your hole, if desired. You can also use your pencil to make the bottom hole a little bigger than the skewer.

4. Push the skewer through the bottom hole, up through the center of the spinner, through one of your glue dots, and slightly out the top hole. Secure the point with an additional glue dot. An adult could also secure these using the glue gun.

5. After the glue has dried a few minutes, spin it by rubbing the end of the skewer between your hands.

Colorado Day!

Celebrate Colorado Day Mon., Aug. 1 and enjoy other events throughout the month of August.

Colorado Day: Ed Dwight

Join us as we celebrate Colorado through the life of Ed Dwight, the first African American considered for the NASA astronaut program! The two-hour event includes:

Mark Dickerson, Col. USAF (Ret), on the confluence of African American and Aviation History
Rachel English, the Director of the Space Foundation, on the importance of space to Colorado's history
A screening of the 13-minute documentary The Lost Astronaut, a short film about Ed Dwight.
Light refreshments will be provided. Registration required.

Genealogy Basics (Colorado Edition)

Are you interested in researching your genealogy, but aren't sure where to start? Join us for an introduction to basic genealogy research strategies including getting started, organizing research, and selecting and searching for records.

In celebration of Colorado Day, this month's Genealogy Basics classes will focus on researching your Colorado ancestors!

Saturday, Aug. 19 from 2 - 3 p.m. - Virtual - Registration is required.
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 7 - 8 p.m. - Virtual - Registration is required.
Saturday, Aug. 26 from 1 - 4 p.m. - Virtual - Registration is required.

Resources:

Adult

Have you checked out our digital archive? PPLD's Digital Collections features historic photographs, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, oral histories, films and more that highlight the rich history of the Pikes Peak region. The materials come from the Special Collections of Pikes Peak Library District, housed in the 1905 Carnegie Library in downtown Colorado Springs.

Pikes Peak NewsFinder is our local historical newspaper index. This index contains citations to and scanned images of local news articles and obituaries from the Colorado Springs Gazette and other local newspapers from as early as the 1870s!

Children/Families

Need homework help? Check out our Colorado Homework Help page to get started with biographies, databases, and recommended websites.

Check some kids books about Colorado history, learn more.

Website Links: