Online Exhibit Celebrating the U.S. Constitution
Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia), considered by many of his Senate colleagues the most learned student of the nation’s founding documents, accomplished a long-standing goal by getting a rider passed in the 2005 Appropriations Bill. The law designates September 17 as Constitution Day. It requires schools and federal agencies to hold educational programs on the Constitution on the anniversary date when, in 1787, the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document.
Of those 55 signers, the University of Houston Libraries’ Special Collections Department owns a number of books written by, and original documents signed by, some of those delegates to the Constitutional Convention: Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Charles Pinckney, and George Washington. This online mini-exhibit is presented during the time in which Constitution Day falls, this year from September 15 — 26, on the TV monitor in the library lobby.
For further information about the U.S. Constitution and Constitution Day, see www.constitutionday.us and www.constitutioncenter.org.
Temporarily Unavailable Materials in Special Collections
A number of Special Collections books and all UH theses and dissertations are currently undergoing treatment and cleaning as the result of a recent mold outbreak in our stacks. Please be advised that the item you wish to use may not be available at this time.
Fortunately, our boxed manuscript and archival materials were not affected and those may be used without difficulty. But until the source of the mold is specifically determined and our stacks are once again free of any contaminates, we will not re-introduce cleaned books into this environment.
We will issue updates as they are warranted, and sincerely regret any difficulties that may be caused for our patrons as a result of this recent problem.