Common Ground: March Highlights
Celebrating America’s Semiquincentennial at the Laramie County Library System
Our Common Ground series continues this March with a new lineup of programs that invite you to explore ideas, share perspectives, and connect with neighbors. Here’s what’s coming up this month.
Listed below are the Common Ground activities happening in March — designed to spark curiosity, encourage meaningful conversation, and bring the community together around stories that shape our understanding of America.
America 250: America in the Movies
- Wednesday, March 4, 2026
- 1:30 – 3:30 pm
- Pine Bluffs Branch
- Designed for adults
The movie for March is Seven Alone which tells the amazing true story of the Sager children and their perils on the Oregon Trail; through the wilderness, to a new life –a feat that truly defines ‘pioneer.’ Popcorn is provided but feel free to bring your favorite snack.
American Girl Tea Party
- Wednesday, March 4, 2026
- 4:00 – 5:00 pm
- Early Literacy Center, Cheyenne
- Designed for children & families
Join us for an American Girl Tea Party featuring books, tea, snacks, games, and crafts inspired by American Girl history. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite doll — any doll is welcome. This family event combines historical celebration with creative play.
Wyoming and the Frontiers of Women’s Suffrage
- Wednesday, March 4, 2026
- 6:30 – 7:30 pm
- Cottonwood Room, Cheyenne
- Designed for adults
In 1869, Wyoming led the nation in recognizing women’s right to full civic equality. Dr. Renee Laegreid places the landmark Women Suffrage Bill within historical context, showing its place within other ‘frontier’ advances in women’s rights in US history and the West. Join us to explore how Wyoming’s groundbreaking decision became a catalyst for change, shaping the future of women’s rights across the West and beyond.
Immigration: An American Story
- March 5 – April 12, 2026
- Third Floor, Cheyenne
- Designed for all ages
The United States has often been called “a nation of immigrants”—an oversimplification, to be sure. American Indians were present before the nation’s founding and hundreds of thousands of Africans were brought to these shores in chains. Many Americans are descended from immigrants who fled religious or ethnic persecution, war, or economic hardship. Over time, each wave of immigrants has left its own imprint on public attitudes and policies throughout the country’s history. This pop-up panel exhibition by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History presents documents, maps, and images to tell selected stories of those who came to America, some by force and others by choice in search of a better future for themselves and later generations
Becoming the United States: Colonial America to Reconstruction
- March 10 – April 11, 2026
- Pine Bluffs Branch
- Designed for all ages
Using items from the collection of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, this pop-up panel exhibition explores individuals, groups, and documents that have contributed to who we are as a country and encourages students to think critically about the firsthand accounts of this era. Becoming the Unites States is designed to introduce upper elementary-aged students to the beginnings of American history and the skills involved in primary source analysis.
Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy
- March 10 – April 11, 2026
- Burns Branch
- Designed for all ages
When the Declaration of Independence was issued, the idea that “all men are created equal” was revolutionary. With this seminal document, the Founding Fathers unleashed an open-ended driving force that would shape modern history. Around the world, other countries have declared independence by taking the US Declaration of 1776 as a model. This pop-up panel exhibition uses primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to illustrate how Americans and people across the world have been inspired by the Declaration in their pursuit of equality and self-determination.
Dinosaurs in Wyoming
- Tuesday, March 10, 2026
- 4:30 – 5:30 pm
- Early Literacy Center, Cheyenne
- Designed for Grades K – 2
Join us for an experience of DINOSAUR proportions. We’ll be making moon sand and having a dinosaur dig while talking about Wyoming dinosaur history.
Lunch Bunch Book Club
- Saturday, March 14, 2026
- 12:00 – 1:00 pm
- Pine Bluffs Branch
- Designed for adults
Readers are invited to gather for a discussion of Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. This is a potluck-style event, so bring a snack to share alongside thoughtful conversation.
Cuentos y Amigos – Spanish Storytime – Abuelos y Abuelas
- Wednesday, March 18, 2026
- 6:00 – 7:00 pm
- Early Literacy Center, Cheyenne
- Designed for children & families
Join us for a special Spanish/English storytime in collaboration with CHISPA. Come enjoy special stories, songs, snacks, and a craft in Spanish and English!
Presentaremos una hora de cuentos en español. ¡Disfrute de cuentos especiales, canciones, meriendas y manualidades – en español y en inglés!
Time Capsules
- Friday, March 20, 2026
- 3:00 – 4:30 pm
- Pine Bluffs Branch
- Designed for all ages
Help us celebrate America’s 250th birthday by creating a time capsule of 2026! We will create one capsule to tell the history of the Pine Bluffs Branch Library and then also creating personal time capsules. Items for the time capsules will be created at the library, but you are welcome to bring a small item to represent 2026.
About Common Ground: 250 Years of Stories in the Making
Common Ground: 250 Years of Stories in the Making is rooted in the idea that every story matters and every voice belongs. Through lectures, screenings, discussions, exhibits, reading challenges, and more, this celebration encourages members of the community to participate in meaningful exploration of history and shared experience. From local history to national milestones, the programs in this series offer many ways to engage with the past and reflect on the future we are building together.