NORMAL -- President John Adams liked books. And turns out, he tended to scratch notes in those books.

The habit -- illustrated repeatedly in the weathered pages of Adams' 3,500-book collection -- has given historians a peek at where the Founding Father gained his knowledge, and in turn, how those works shaped his intellect and politics.

Now the general public can get a glimpse through "John Adams Unbound," a national traveling exhibit that makes a six-week stop in Normal starting Wednesday.

The exhibit, a series of panels to be set up on Milner Library's main floor at Illinois State University, will take visitors on a journey through Adams' life from 1735 to 1826 as a student, lawyer, revolutionary, diplomat and as America's second president from 1797 to 1801.

"Apparently he wrote a lot in his books, and by reading the text and reading the notes, you can actually see where he formed his political views," said Toni Tucker, an ISU librarian who brought the exhibit to Normal.

ISU is one of only 20 U.S. libraries to land "Unbound" during its eight-year tour. Co-sponsored by the Boston Public Library and the American Library Association, it's funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant.

"He was a fascinating person," said Tucker. "He was a contrarian -- he didn't really get along with George Washington and Ben Franklin. His father really wanted him to be a minister, but he went into law instead -- and he defended the British soldiers during the Boston Massacre."

During ISU's 150th anniversary celebration, Tucker heard visiting historian David McCullough speak about his Adams biography. She became intrigued and read the book soon after. About the same time, she watched the PBS miniseries about Adams and his wife, Abigail.

So, when Tucker learned of the "Unbound" exhibit, she got busy writing a proposal for the competitive grant.

As part of her efforts, she enlisted the help of area librarians who helped give a communitywide approach to the Normal proposal.

As a result, lectures at ISU, Illinois Wesleyan University and Eureka College are part of the six-week event. And Bloomington and Normal public libraries plan Adams-themed events, too.

Some area middle and high schools also are planning field trips to Milner's exhibit.

Meg Miner, an IWU archivist and Ames Library librarian, helped organize a lecture on her campus. She said the fact that Adams had so many facets is what makes him so interesting: "He was an activist, a politician. He was a lawyer, a scholar."

The Adams' exhibit marks the third major traveling exhibit for which ISU has won grants.

In 2007, ISU hosted one focusing on Abraham Lincoln. A year later, Tucker brought an exhibit about another Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton.

And she's arranged for a national exhibit from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., to arrive in 2012. "Pride & Passion: The African-American Baseball Experience," will be at Milner from March 28 to May 11, 2012.

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Adams, by the book

What: "John Adams Unbound" exhibit

When: Wednesday through Oct. 16. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Where: Main floor, Milner Library, Illinois State University, Normal

Highlights: Focus on Adams' 3,500-volume personal library that his family donated in 1894 to the Boston Public Library. All events free and open to the public

Historians on Adams

Sept 11: Opening reception, 6 p.m., Milner Library, featuring period music and refreshments

Sept. 15: "John Adams, the Cautious Revolutionary," Robert McColley, 7 p.m., Milner Library, main floor

Sept. 22: "John Adams, Lawyer and Political Scientist," Susan Westbury, 7 p.m., Milner Library, main floor

Sept. 29: "John Adams and the Origins of American Diplomacy," W. Michael Weis, Illinois Wesleyan University, Ames Library, Beckman Auditorium

Oct. 8: "John Adams and the Illinois Country: The Influence of a Gentle Nationalist," Junius Rodriguez, 7:30 p.m., Eureka College, Melick Library, Gammon Room

Community happenings

"John Adams: Brilliant Bibliophile," 7 p.m. Oct. 6, Milner Library, main floor, and 2 p.m., Oct. 10, Normal Public Library community room; Twin City Tale Spinners' anecdotes on Adams

"Presidential Coins and Coin Collecting" - 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 15, Bloomington Public Library, community room.

Teaching with Primary Sources, a Library of Congress program for middle school and high school teachers making the national library materials on Adams available - check out Sept. 2 to Oct. 16, at Milner Library