The Smithsonian Institution’s Voices and Votes Democracy in America display is now in place for a five week run at the Bryan Bennett Library in Salem. The Illinois Freedom Project display will be added on Saturday. The large boxes containing the display arrived late Monday afternoon and were unpacked and put together on Tuesday.
Library Kim Keller says they received two grants and other assistance to bring the display to Salem without any cost to the library.
“A two year process to get it here. The Steering Committee has been working on this for a year. So a lot of people have put a lot of effort and time on it and a lot of creative energy and now it’s coming into fruition. We are really proud of the volunteers and this is just the start of it too because this is going to go on for five weeks. We have a host of volunteers who will be trained on Thursday. Friday we will have a get together for the volunteers and city officials and then our big opening is Saturday at 11:00.”
The opening ceremony will feature talks by Tim Townsend who directs the Illinois Freedom Project and Matt Meacham of Illinois Humanities. There will also be a few remarks from William Jennings Bryan, as portrayed by Mike Devilbis. County Clerk Steve Fox will be present to register voters from eleven to one on Saturday.
Several local groups also made displays for the event. They include the Bryan-Bennett Library’s Suffrage exhibit, Salem Historical Commission Election of 1896 display, DAR information table, DAR Constitution Week, National Society of Daughters of 1812, National Society of Descendants of American Farmers, SAR flag display, the Salem American Legion’s GI Bill of Rights display and the Soldiers and Sailors Reunion voting equipment display.
The library will have expanded hours to allow for more time to view the display. The library will be open from noon to seven Monday through Thursday, 10 to 7 on Friday and Saturday and 1 to 6 on Sunday. There is no admission charge to view the display or attend some of the special events during the five week visit of the display.
