2026 is an important year for our country as we prepare to celebrate the United States Semiquincentennial on July 4th! Here you will find all kinds of activities and events leading up to the special day. The Historical Research Center and RCLS as a whole are excited to participate in this one-time celebration.
Upcoming 250th Events:
250th Reading Challenges:
This is a system-wide reading challenge running from January 4th until July 4th that includes reading and/or listening. There will be a prize drawing at the end, and participants who complete the Road to Reading challenge will receive a commemorative coin.
Maps to help you track progress are available at your local library branch.
Road to Reading Instructions:
Participants will read for 250 minutes per week, 30 minutes a day, which includes reading or listening. Each dot on the map represents 200 minutes read. By July 4th, participants should have read for at least 6000 minutes. Once completed, they’ll turn in their paper after July 4th to receive their coin.
50 State Reading Challenge:
Participants have the option to read a book from each of the 50 states. To keep track of what they’ve read, they can color in a star for that state. Participants who finish this challenge will have an honorary 250th book plate in their name to be placed into a new book.
Smyrna Public Library Awarded a Tennessee America 250 Grant from the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial:
GRANT WILL BE USED FOR Walking Through History: An America 250 Festival at Smyrna Public Library
SMYRNA PUBLIC LIBRARY is a recipient of a $25,000.00 grant for Tennessee America 250 initiatives from the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. The grant award will be used to organize a community event Walking Through History: An America 250 Festival at Smyrna Public Library, a free, large-scale community heritage event commemorating Tennessee’s America 250 on August 1, 2026, from 10 AM to 3 PM. Read more here.
Genealogy Resources
Want to learn more about your family history? Look into our First Families program? Are you just a history buff who wants to learn more about Tennessee and Rutherford County? Check out the library’s genealogical resources here!