In Search of a Better World? Join Ben Franklin at the Hattiesburg Library

Ben Franklin, one of the most well known and beloved of our founding fathers, is still teaching and speaking to American's today. The grand opening of the traveling exhibit: Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" was celebrated on Tuesday, January 6^th at the Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County. The exhibit will be open to the public for the next six weeks.

The exhibit is a chance for the public to explore the life of this great man, to speak of his achievements and to view Franklin as the revolutionary and brilliant man that he was. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and put together by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the exhibit celebrates the 300^th anniversary of the birth of this great man. The exhibit also features local businesses and institutions as it explores Ben Franklin's community spirit and achievements.

The grand opening of the exhibit featured a look alike Ben Franklin, a wonderful speech, cake and a crowd of more than 150 people. The standing room only crowd had nothing but admiration for the exhibit and it's opening. The events and activities planned by the library for the next 6 weeks will continue to draw large crowds. Crafts, book club discussions, video showings and lectures are only a few of the future activities planned for the exhibit. There will also be an art contest for children. The exhibit itself includes freestanding panels depicting artifacts from the original exhibition. It is arranged to show Franklin's life and his accomplishments and his contributions to society as a whole, not just America.

This stop of the exhibition is one of only 40 stops it will make on it's tour of the US. The library in Hattiesburg is it's only stop in the state of Mississippi. This exhibit of the life of Ben Franklin will be on the road until July of 2011. To find out more about where the exhibit will be showing in the future, go to the Ben Franklin Tercentenary website at http://www.benfranklin300.org/traveling_library_exhibit.html .

The exhibition is showing at the Library of Hattiesburg at 329 Hardy Street in Hattiesburg, MS. It opened January 6^th and will continue through February 27^th. The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday 8 AM to 8 PM and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. For a full listing of all activities scheduled during the Hattiesburg portion of this exhibit, visit http://www.hpfc.lib.ms.us .