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Explore stories about history, people, places, science, Americana, books, documents, and more.
Featured Discoveries
Gwendolyn Brooks: How a Chicago Poet Made Everyday Black Life a Matter of Literature
Gwendolyn Brooks turned kitchens, porches, classrooms, street corners, and apartment windows into places of lasting literary importance—and opened new doors for generations of American writers.
Read more →The Wildlife Overpass: How Arizona Is Making I-17 Safer for Animals and Drivers
A new wildlife-crossing project near Flagstaff is designed to reconnect habitat, reduce collisions and give animals a safer route across one of Arizona’s busiest highways.
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The Library Shelf That Lends More Than Books: How Arizona Neighbors Share the Tools of Everyday Life
Across Arizona, public libraries are expanding the meaning of borrowing. Alongside books, residents can find practical tools, games, technology and learning kits—small resources that make everyday life more affordable and…
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How Small Towns Became the Backbone of America
Why Towns Appeared American towns often grew where transportation routes, water supplies, natural resources or government services came together. A railroad stop…
Read more →The Federal Writers’ Project: How America Put Its Stories to Work
During the Great Depression, the United States hired thousands of writers, editors, researchers, and interviewers to document the country’s places, people, and…
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The Book of Hours: How Medieval People Carried a Daily Life Guide in Their Hands
Long before smartphones and wall calendars, a beautifully decorated prayer book helped Europeans structure the day, follow the seasons and imagine their…
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The Statue of Liberty: More Than a Symbol of New York
A Gift Across the Atlantic The Statue of Liberty was presented by France to the United States and dedicated in 1886. Its…
Read more →Arizona’s Apache Trout Recovery Shows What Patient Conservation Can Do
In the cool streams of the White Mountains, a native fish once pushed toward extinction is finding more places to live—thanks to…
Read more →Prescott’s Granite Dells Shows What a Public Landscape Can Become
In Yavapai County, the Granite Dells is becoming more than a dramatic backdrop. Its protected rock formations, trails and waterways offer Prescott…
Read more →The Gila Monster: How an Arizona Desert Lizard Helped Inspire a Diabetes Treatment
A slow-moving reptile with a powerful bite helped scientists uncover a molecule that became the basis of an important diabetes medicine.
