HURRICANE - The Putnam County Library is showcasing an exhibit celebrating the 225th anniversary of the Bill of Rights.
"The Bill of Rights and You," an exhibit created by the National Archives, focuses on teaching communities about The Bill of Rights. The Putnam County Library's main branch is one of 42 locations throughout the state featuring the exhibit.
Megan Tarbett, director of the library, said the library applied for the program after they were contacted by the West Virginia Humanities Council. Tarbett said the exhibit came at an appropriate time, with the upcoming presidential inauguration of Donald Trump and the swearing in of local and national representatives.
"It's a good time to have it up to start conversation," Tarbett said.
The self-guided display is set up prominently in the front of the library. The display focuses on the history of the Bill of Rights, and how its amendments can be applied in real-life situations, including protests, religious freedom and freedom of the press.
Tarbett said the exhibit can appeal to all ages. She said it can educate students, but also it also reminds adults of the amendments.
"We all think we know what it says," Tarbett said. "But do we really know what it says?"
The library is also in the early stages of planning two events next month. Tarbett said the library hopes to have one event featuring a politician talking about how the Bill of Rights affects their work, or a staffer from the Secretary of State's office to talk about voting rights. The other will be a movie night featuring a movie about the bill of rights or civil rights. Neither event has a set date yet.
The exhibit will run until the end of February at the main branch. After that Tarbett says the library system hopes to install it in each branch for at least a month.
For more information about the exhibit, visit the Putnam County Library's website.