“JOHN ADAMS UNBOUND” will be featured at Cowles Library through Dec. 11. Photo: Sarah Andrews

Though President’s Day may not be until February, Drake is honoring John Adams with its new exhibit in Cowles Library. From Oct. 28 to Dec. 11, students, faculty and com­munity members will be able to learn more about the history of democracy in America through “John Adams Unbound,” a touring exhibit developed by the Boston Public Library and the American Library Associa­tion.

The exhibit is on display in the Cowles Library Reading Room and is open to the pub­lic during regular library hours. Cowles Library is one of 20 li­braries across the nation to host this exhibit, which will tour un­til June 2012.

Claudia Frazer, associate professor of librarianship, ap­plied for a grant from the Na­tional Endowment for the Hu­manities to fund the exhibit.

“The exhibit, itself, is more a reflection of the library that John Adams amassed over his lifetime,” Frazer said. “Believ­ing, at age 32, that an ample and well-chosen assortment of books could serve seven possi­ble ends: fame, fortune, power, God, country, clients and fellow men, John Adams began assem­bling one of the greatest private libraries in early America,” Frazer said.

John Adams’ personal beliefs about the value of citizenship and knowledge closely mirror the goal of the exhibit and the Drake mission statement calling for global citizenship.

“Through close examination of each of these seven themes, you can easily see how Adams felt about responsible citizenship and, more importantly, how he practiced responsible citi­zenship throughout his life,” Frazer said.

A lecture by Gordon Wood introduced the exhibit and highlighted its purpose. The Brown University history professor is known for his essays on the uses of history. The event focused on Brown’s latest book, “The Purpose of the Past: Reflections on the Uses of His­tory,” and the development of American de­mocracy. Brown discussed the importance of the Founding Fathers in the foundation of our democracy and their relevance today.

“No other nation honors past historical fig­ures like America,” Wood said. “I am always asked, ‘What would Washington think of Iraq? What would Jefferson think of affirmative ac­tion?’ We need to know what they think of us.”

Wood analyzed the reasons that Ameri­cans feel such a great need to understand the Founding Fathers. He explained that the strug­gle to uphold constitutional accuracy and the desire to retrieve lost political integrity were motivators. However, Wood said he believes the development of the “American Identity” is the primary reason we want to understand the past.

“In order to know who we are, we need to understand who those men were,” Wood said.

Wood classified the Founding Fathers as “not demigods and really not democrats.” He portrayed the historical figures as men who, like modern-day politicians, were not afraid to use elitism. They had to sacrifice speaking their own beliefs to preserve political disinterested­ness.

The next lecture accompanying the “John Adams Unbound” exhibit will feature Beth Prindle Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Cowles Li­brary Reading Room. Prindle is the manager of the John Adams Library Project at the Bos­ton Public Library and curator of “John Ad­ams Unbound.”