Knox County library director to speak at Constitution Day

Larry Frank, Knox County Public Library director, will be the featured speaker for the third annual observance of Constitution Day at the College September 17.

The free event, which is open to the public as well as students, faculty and staff, is at 2 p.m. in the Goins Auditorium on the Pellissippi Campus. The program is sponsored by Student Life and Recreation and Political Science in recognition of the signing of the U.S. Constitution September 17, 1787.

In keeping with this year’s theme of freedom of expression, Frank has planned a presentation entitled “A Theology of Free Expression: in Consideration of the First Amendment.”

“I am hoping to have a very brief conversation that touches upon some of the theology-rooted patterns of freedom of expression,” he said, “from ancient monasteries to today’s libraries and current trends in the public square.”

Frank, who has more than 20 years’ experience as a library director, has served in his current position four years. In 2006, he was named among the nation’s top 21 librarians by The New York Times. Frank was chosen from 1,300 nominations for making the library “friendlier” and “more accessible.”

Pellissippi State’s previous Constitution Day programs have included a mock debate between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists and a panel discussion on the Constitutional doctrine of separation of powers, with special guest Congressman John J. Duncan Jr.

Gay Lyons, political science professor at Pellissippi State, points out that honoring the Constitution is not just a good idea—it’s also the law. In 2004, legislation was enacted that requires all public educational institutions, kindergarten through college, to offer some kind of program related to the Constitution.

For more information about the event, contact Mary Bledsoe in the Student Life and Recreation Office at 694-6415.

"Inside Pellissippi" is a bi-monthly electronic publication produced by the Marketing and Communications Office for the faculty and staff of Pellissippi State Technical Community College, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, P.O. Box 22990, Knoxville, Tennessee 37933-0990. All suggestions and comments should be sent to Julia Wood (jwood@pstcc.edu).

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