History enthusiasts are invited to the library on Wednesday, June 17, at 6 p.m. in the Downtown Library Lower Level for a presentation by author Emily Sneff on her new book, When the Declaration of Independence Was News.

Published in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of American independence, the book explores how news of the Declaration of Independence spread rapidly throughout the thirteen states and across the Atlantic world in 1776. Sneff reveals the roles played by printers, post riders, soldiers, preachers, diplomats, and ordinary citizens in sharing the document and shaping a new national identity.

Tracing the Declaration’s journey from Philadelphia to cities including Boston, Charleston, London, and Paris, Sneff examines how people celebrated, debated, translated, and even modified the text as it circulated. Her presentation offers a fresh perspective on a pivotal moment in American history and the people who experienced it in real time. This program is the last in the year-long “Founding Documents” series, honoring America’s founding ideas ahead of 250 years of independence.