The New York Public Library Expands its Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States

Image Courtesy of The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library on Wednesday announced “We the People: Reflections on America’s 250th,” an innovative public storytelling project to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Members of the public will be invited to share their stories and reflections of this pivotal moment in the nation’s history beginning on June 15, 2026, through January 10, 2027, at NYPL’s flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. 

“We the People” will create a historical record that future scholars can use to understand our current moment—all submissions will become part of the Library’s permanent collections alongside other major oral histories, including the recently opened Pandemic Diaries. The public will also be able to participate in “We the People” via online submissions and in select branches. Please note participants must be at least 13 years old to submit their story and those 18 and under must have a consenting adult.  

Additionally, the Library on Wednesday announced that a first wave of timed-entry tickets for a free, public viewing of the Declaration of Independence—on display from July 1–7 at the Schwarzman Building—will be released on June 1, 2026. Although the viewing is free, the Library is employing a ticketed system to manage high demand and ensure a high-quality experience for visitors. Tickets are expected to go quickly, and the public is encouraged to sign up for the Library’s bimonthly newsletter NYPL Connect to stay informed. 

The Library also on Wednesday gave a sneak peak of its special-edition library card commemorating the US semiquincentennial. Available to the public June 1, the card features NYPL’s copy of the Declaration of Independence, handwritten by Thomas Jefferson.

“We the People,” the free exhibition of the Declaration of Independence, and the special-edition library card are the latest additions to “250 Years: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” the Library’s campaign to commemorate the anniversary of the United States, which launches system-wide on June 1. 

“250 Years: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” also includes: 

• A major new, multi-genre book list with 150 adult titles, along with 50 teen and 50 children’s books in a range of categories, including sports, music, art, and US history. Starting June 1, NYPL cardholders will gain instant access to select tiles on the list in e-book and audiobook formats. There will also be branch giveaways, as well as programs, storytimes, book clubs, and more. 
• Declaring America: 1776 and Beyond: Taking over three galleries in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Declaring America will unpack the complex, diverse, and powerful stories of the American Revolution—from 1776 to today. 
• Declaration of Independence Special Anniversary Display: NYPL’s copy of the Declaration of Independence, on display July 1–7, will include extended building hours and a July 1 daytime festival on the plaza, followed by an evening concert.
• More details on “250 Years: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are on the Library’s website. 

“The New York Public Library serves as a trusted custodian of some of our nation’s most important historical treasures,” said Anthony W. Marx, President and CEO of The New York Public Library. “As we prepare to exhibit rare American manuscripts and artifacts—including our copy of the Declaration of Independence—we will also invite New Yorkers and visitors from around the nation and the world to celebrate with us, reflect with us, read with us—and to tell their stories about the American experience, ones we will faithfully archive for future generations.”

“History all too easily gets lost, one reason we keep writing and rewriting it,” said Stacy Schiff, a Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer who most recently authored The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams. “With NYPL’s ‘We the People’ project, we have a unique chance to preserve a moment; it offers us not only an opportunity to assess where we think America stands on its 250th birthday, but also an opportunity to help write its future histories.” 

“Andrew Carnegie built public libraries so that everyone, regardless of background, could access knowledge and participate in civic life,” said Ambika Kapur, program director of Education at Carnegie Corporation of New York. “We’re glad to support The New York Public Library in carrying that legacy forward—inviting New Yorkers to contribute their own stories on the occasion of the nation’s 250th anniversary.”

“For more than two decades, StoryCorps has worked to ensure that everyday people’s stories are preserved as part of our shared history,” said Sandra Clark, CEO of StoryCorps. “As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, this partnership with The New York Public Library invites people to reflect on what America means to them today—and to ensure those voices become part of the historical record for generations to come.”

“250 Years: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” is made possible by the generosity of Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

Additional support is provided by Iron Mountain and The Edward & Sandra Meyer Foundation.

Support for The New York Public Library’s Exhibitions Program has been provided by Celeste Bartos, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos Exhibitions Fund, Jonathan Altman, and Miriam and Ira D. Wallach.

These programs and initiatives are part of the Library’s overall commitment to our branch patrons and education programs, led by the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education. Major support for educational programming is provided by Merryl H. and James S. Tisch.

About The New York Public Library

For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/give. 

About Carnegie Corporation of New York

Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace. Learn more at www.carnegie.org.

About StoryCorps

Founded in 2003, StoryCorps is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all, one story at a time. More than 700,000 people, in all 50 states, have recorded interviews about their lives through StoryCorps. The award-winning organization preserves the recordings in its archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered, and shares select stories with the public through StoryCorps’ podcast, radio broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books. These powerful human stories reflect the vast range of American experiences, engender empathy and connection, and remind us how much more we have in common than what divides us. StoryCorps is especially committed to capturing and amplifying the voices of everyday people least heard in the media. Learn more at storycorps.org.