Law Library News: Recent Updates

Happy Constitution Day and Citizenship Day!

Mural of George Washington receiving the draft of the Constitution from James Madison, National Archives Building in Washington, DC, https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/constitution-day

Every year on September 17th, we commemorate the adoption of the United States Constitution on that day in 1787, when it was signed by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. And on this day, we also recognize all those who have come of age or been naturalized as citizens of the United States. This joint celebration is established by 36 U.S.C. §106 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and the National Archives offers a fascinating historical overview of how this came to be. 

During mid-September, stop by the Law Library's activity area near the Circulation Desk to pick up your very own copy of the U.S. Constitution, as well as activity sheets. And while you're at it, glance over our book display featuring books on constitutional law, including some written by NIU faculty. And you don't have to be on campus to check out our online resources, including databases and website about the Constitution, including:

• Civil Rights and Social Justice: a HeinOnline database focusing on the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments and the later legislation that centered on them.
• The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation: this Congressional website (also known as "Constitution Annotation") is a comprehensive, government-sanctioned record of the interpretations of the Constitution, regularly updated and written in "plain English."
• Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774 to 1789: a digital collection within the Library of Congresses containing 277 documents, including extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions of both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
• World Constitutions Illustrated: Contemporary & Historical Documents & Resources: a HeinOnline database that enables legal scholars to research the constitutional and political development of every country in the world, including constitutional periodicals, thousands of classic books, other related works such as the World Fact Book, links to scholarly articles and online resources, and bibliographic references.

Beyond the library, don't forget to join this year's Constitution Day program, Un-fathering the Constitution, presented by Professor Lorianne Updike Toler on Monday, September 18th at noon in Swen Parson 188 and via Zoom.