05/16/2023
This is our library's curator, Colonel Ronald D. Ray, USMC (Ret).
At his death in July 2020, he left an extensive library of over 8000 books. This special collection of history and government books covers the time from the foundation of America through the twentieth century. The Nation’s original documents, organic utterances, eyewitness accounts, and the facts of America’s history are preserved in the Colonel’s collection and form the foundation for the Library of American History at LaGrange, Kentucky. The digital library can house a plethora books and more which will be accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
Why a Library Now? America is at a pivotal time as the very legitimacy of the nation is questioned in all of America’s institutions. Books are being censored and removed from library circulation as free speech is stifled by a growing “cancel culture.” This trend is concerning as dependence upon Big Tech grows. Once a wide breadth of information could be accessed, but today online searches yield little but a narrow narrative.
We aim to educate and empower our nation’s future leaders with truth that is found in historical fact. Subjects vital to citizenship are history, geography and civics, which were eliminated in 1967 by the NEA (National Educational Association). Two generations later, “we the people” have abandoned absolutes and traditional American ideals.
Institutions lean toward the collective and recent generations cling to their subjective “truth,” largely unprepared to guide the Republic through the country’s elected officials. The shift in educational emphasis can also be seen in investment in Education: For every $54 the US government spends per school child on STEM, (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), $.05 cents is spent on civics. Are these generations so easily parted from the lessons of the past because so little effort was made to teach it?
That is why this library is vital NOW.
If you or someone you know has a collection of books they would like to lend or donate to our library, send us an email at [email protected], or send us a message by clicking the "Send Message" button on this post or on our page.
