Much more than fireworks displays and family gatherings, the Fourth of July represents America’s declared independence from Britain and the birth of democracy. Visitors can view one of only 25 surviving copies of the Declaration printed on the night of July 4, 1776, at the University of Virginia Library’s permanent exhibit, “Declaring Independence: Creating and Recreating America’s Document,” which will be open to the public tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission and guided tours throughout the day. The exhibit is located on the lower floor of the U.Va. Library’s newest facility, the Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History, Literature and Culture, and the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. Full story.

U.Va. News Services

Seven new hires — three first-time teachers and four from other schools, including Tomiko Brown-Nagin (left) and Margo A. Bagley (right) — make up this year’s all-star cast of faculty recruits at the University of Virginia School of Law. “With our star faculty attracting attention from law schools nationwide, it becomes ever more important to recruit the next generation of stars to succeed them. This year we’ve done just that,” said Dean John C. Jeffries Jr. Brown-Nagin, who comes from Washington University in St. Louis, served as a visiting professor at U.Va. during the 2004-2005 academic year and joins U.Va. as a professor of law and hsistory and F. Palmer Weber Research Professor in Civil Liberties and Human Rights. Bagley, an intellectual property expert, comes from Emory and Henry College to join the faculty as a professor of law and Class of 1941 Research Professor. Full story.

Law School