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Innovator in Residence Invites Public to Experience Chinatown Reconstruction Artist, educator and 2023 Library of Congress Innovator in Residence Jeffrey Yoo Warren is inviting the public to visit an immersive 3D reconstruction of historic Providence, Rhode Island’s Chinatown in 1914, recreated using archival photographs and records from the Library’s collection. The model is the first part of Yoo Warren’s project, Seeing Lost Enclaves: Relational Reconstructions of Erased Historic Neighborhoods of Color, which aims to unearth lost histories from across the United States.
Complete with navigable buildings, glowing lamplights and the sounds of evening rain, the virtual Providence Chinatown reimagines a once-vibrant neighborhood, of which little trace remains today.
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Ada Limón: 'You Are Here' U.S. Poet Laureate to Publish Anthology, Bring Poetry to National Parks Ada Limón’s signature project as the nation’s 24th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, “You Are Here,” will feature two major new initiatives: an anthology of commissioned nature poems and poetry installed as public art in seven national parks.
“I want to champion the ways reading and writing poetry can situate us in the natural world,” Limón said. “Never has it been more urgent to feel a sense of reciprocity with our environment, and poetry’s alchemical mix of attention, silence, and rhythm gives us a reciprocal way of experiencing nature — of communing with the natural world through breath and presence.”
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Dress as Your Favorite Literary Figure, Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and More During Live at the Library in September During Live at the Library in September, visitors are invited to attend an event to kick off the upcoming C-SPAN series “Books that Shaped America” on Sept. 7. Plus, dress as your favorite literary figure for a special Literary Costume Ball on Sept. 14. Visitors are invited to begin celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the Library with special music and dance events in September.
On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour drinks and snacks available for purchase in the Great Hall overlooking the Capitol and the Library’s beautiful architecture while visiting the Library’s exhibits, collections and programs.
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Library of Congress Releases Newly Digitized Hebrew Manuscripts The Library of Congress has released some 230 newly digitized manuscripts written in Hebrew and similar languages such as Judeo-Arabic, Judeo-Persian and Yiddish. The collection, available online for researchers and the public for the first time, includes a 14th century collection of responsa by Solomon ibn Adret of Barcelona, considered one of the most prominent authorities on Jewish law of all time.
The full digital project, funded by the David Berg Foundation, offers a highly diverse collection of materials from the 10th through the 20th centuries, including responsa or rabbinic decisionsand commentary, poetry, Jewish magic, and folk medicine.
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Library to Host Congress.gov Public Forum on Sept. 13 The Library of Congress will hold its next Congress.gov forum on Wednesday, Sept. 13 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. As the authoritative source for federal legislative information, Congress.gov is greatly enhanced by public feedback about the site.
For the first time, the forum will take place both in person at the Library and via Zoom for participants who would prefer to join virtually. Registration for those who would like to attend in person at the Library’s Madison Building is available here. Online participants can register here. The Library encourages everyone interested in legislative data, from experienced Congress.gov users to those who may be new to tracking federal legislative activity, to join this event.
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Tens of Thousands Join 2023 Library of Congress National Book Festival Tens of thousands of book lovers joined the Library of Congress National Book Festival in person on Aug. 12 at the Washington Convention Center, including capacity crowds on numerous stages. Videos of select stages are now available, and individual presentations will be made available on demand on the festival’s website beginning the week of Aug. 21.
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Library of Congress Announces Fall 2023 Concert Series Brazilian jazz pianist, composer and vocalist Eliane Elias kicks off the fall 2023 season of Concerts from the Library of Congress on Oct. 13. The series presents a diverse lineup of chamber music and jazz concerts in the Library’s Coolidge Auditorium, along with conversations with musicians and composers, educational projects, and curated displays showcasing collections from the Library’s Music Division.
Events are free and open to the public. Patrons can register to attend events on the Concerts from the Library of Congress website. Due to upgrades to the Library’s event registration system, spring 2024 events will be announced separately in December.
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From Cylinders to Surround Mixes: Daylong Demonstration Features Sound and Preservation at the Library The Library of Congress will showcase a range of treasures, technology and history from its recorded sound collection, the largest such audio collection in the world, in a daylong series of presentations and evening sound installations on Aug. 24.
Throughout the day, sound engineers and recording historians will present on a unique set of topics covering some of the earliest, most important and most unusual sounds in the Library’s holdings in the Whittall Pavilion and Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Displays and presentations will include early experiments on cylinders through the many eras of radio broadcasting and the ongoing quest to expand the possibilities and achievements in recording. Visitors will hear an amazing range of sounds and the stories behind them.
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C-SPAN and Library of Congress Announce New Primetime Book Series for Fall 2023 C-SPAN and the Library of Congress today announced a joint original feature production for fall 2023: "Books That Shaped America."
The 10-part series – which C-SPAN will air LIVE on Mondays, starting Sept. 18 at 9 p.m. ET – will be a literary journey, tracing America's history by exploring masterpieces in literature that have had, and still have today, a major impact on society.
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National Book Festival Presents Activities for Families, Author Presentations for Kids and Young Readers Children, teens and families will find a full schedule of free activities at the 2023 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday, Aug. 12. Explore a wide array of activities and programs for festival attendees of all ages in Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Young readers of all ages will find author programs that interest them on stages across the festival. Use the schedule filter function of loc.gov/bookfest to find programs by stage, event type and genre.
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| News from the Library of Congress National Book Festival, Live! at the Library, Ken Burns Prize for Film and More | | 2023 National Book Festival August 12 Join us in the nation’s capital at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, August 12, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.). If you can't join us in Washington, D.C. for a day of free talks and activities, several programs will be livestreamed, and video of all talks can be viewed online after the Festival concludes. Learn more.
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Enjoy Movies on the Lawn, Café Concerts During Live at the Library in August Enjoy summer movies and music on the lawn this August during Live at the Library. On Aug. 3, take a bachata class from Julissa Cruz of the Latin Vintage Dance Company before a screening of “Mary Poppins.” Plus, join the Library of Congress for screenings in the historic Coolidge Auditorium later in the month, and enjoy café concerts in the Great Hall starting Aug. 17. Learn more.
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In Memoriam: Tony Bennett Among the great joys of our work in the Music Division of the Library of Congress are the occasions when distinguished creators from the world of the performing arts visit us and have the opportunity to examine first-hand the original manuscripts that document the creativity of previous generations. Such was the case in June 2018 when Tony Bennett visited the Library. Read more.
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| Doodles, Puzzles, Peek-A-Boo, and a Dutch Book of Hours Many of us have a distinctive doodle. We can recognize our former school notebooks from the familiar designs that repeat in various combinations on the corners of pages. Some of these drawn figures may still inadvertently appear on a memo pad when we find ourselves on a lengthy telephone call. The connotation of the word “doodle” implies that the penwork lacks intentionality, and therefore fifteenth-century scribes in the Northern Netherlands cannot be said to have “doodled” in the borders of their manuscripts. Nevertheless, the effect of their labors on paper and parchment is remarkably similar to some of our finer memo pad masterpieces. Learn more. | |
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George Saunders to Receive 2023 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction One of the Library’s most prestigious awards, the annual Prize for American Fiction honors an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination. The award seeks to commend strong, unique, enduring voices that — throughout consistently accomplished careers — have told us something essential about the American experience. Learn more.
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The Better Angels Society Announces Finalists for Fifth Annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize For Film The Better Angels Society, the Library of Congress, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation announced the six finalists for the fifth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. The award, which was established in 2019, recognizes late-stage documentaries that use original research and compelling narrative to tell stories that bring American history to life through archival materials. Learn more.
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Library of Congress Launches Video Game Challenge for Civic Engagement The Library is calling on video game developers to create fun and lightweight video games related to civics that incorporate Library resources. This challenge is part of an effort to improve public knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of American citizens. Winning video game entries, to be announced early next year, will receive $35,000 in cash prizes. Learn more.
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Enjoy Movies on the Lawn, Café Concerts During Live at the Library in August Enjoy summer movies and music on the lawn this August during Live at the Library. On Aug. 3, take a bachata class from Julissa Cruz of the Latin Vintage Dance Company before a screening of “Mary Poppins.” Plus, join the Library of Congress for screenings in the historic Coolidge Auditorium later in the month, and enjoy café concerts in the Great Hall starting Aug. 17.
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George Saunders to Receive 2023 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that the 2023 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will be awarded to George Saunders.
One of the Library’s most prestigious awards, the annual Prize for American Fiction honors an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination. The award seeks to commend strong, unique, enduring voices that — throughout consistently accomplished careers — have told us something essential about the American experience.
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Library of Congress Offers Third Round of Grant Funding to Support Contemporary Cultural Field Research within Diverse Communities The Library of Congress is offering the third round of grants available to individuals and organizations working to document cultures and traditions of Black, Indigenous and communities of color traditionally underrepresented in the United States. The Community Collections Grants from the Library’s American Folklife Center offer a wide range of opportunities for many to document experiences from their own perspectives, while enriching the Library’s holdings with diverse materials featuring creativity and knowledge found at the local level. The funding opportunities were announced today and are open for applications through Aug. 18.
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Library of Congress National Book Festival Partners with PBS Books to Share Voices from the Festival with Viewers Nationwide Book lovers across the nation can join the 2023 Library of Congress National Book Festival on PBS Books, which will host a series of virtual interviews with some of the festival’s featured authors beginning July 20 in partnership with PBS stations across the country.
This marks the eighth collaboration between the Library of Congress National Book Festival and PBS Books, a national programming initiative produced by Detroit Public Television. The 2023 series features interviews with authors including Claribel A. Ortega, Shelby Van Pelt, Tananarive Due, S.A. Cosby, Luis Alberto Urrea, Beverly Gage, TJ Klune, Matthew Desmond, Héctor Tobar, Angeline Boulley and Trang Thanh Tran.
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Enjoy Summer Movies and Music on the Lawn During Live at the Library in July Enjoy summer movies and music on the lawn beginning on July 6 with a screening of “Iron Man” and a performance by Batalá Washington, D.C.’s all-women Afro-Brazilian drumming troop. To celebrate the upcoming National Book Festival, all of the movies presented are adapted from books or comics. Plus, view a one-night curated display of items from the Library’s George S. Patton collection on July 13, and explore the Library’s newest exhibition “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America” with authors Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett on July 20.
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| News from the Library of Congress Book Festival Author Lineup, Papers of Composer John Adams, Poet Laureate’s Poem for NASA’s Europa Clipper and More | | National Book Festival Announces Full Author Lineup The 2023 Library of Congress National Book Festival returns to the Washington Convention Center on Saturday, Aug. 12. The festival’s theme, “Everyone Has a Story,” celebrates the storyteller in us all. Attendees will hear conversations that reflect their lived experiences and stories, with presentations for every type of reader. Memoirs will be featured on several stages, including actor Elliot Page’s “Pageboy” and R.K. Russell’s “The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love and Football.” NPR journalists Mary Louise Kelly and Ari Shapiro tell the stories of their lives and careers in their new books. Uyghur poet Tahir Hamut Izgil discusses his homeland and the persecution of Muslim minorities in western China. Learn more.
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Library Acquires Music Manuscripts and Papers of Composer John Adams The Library of Congress has acquired the music manuscripts and papers of contemporary American composer, conductor and writer John Adams. Adams is known for works including the opera “Nixon in China” and concert pieces such as “Shaker Loops,” “Harmonielehre,” “Road Movies,” “Chamber Symphony” and “Short Ride in a Fast Machine.” Learn more.
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U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón Reveals Poem to Fly on NASA’s Europa Clipper U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón revealed a new poem that will fly into space aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper mission on a yearslong journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. The poem, first shared publicly during a special reading at the Library of Congress, will be engraved on the spacecraft set to launch in October 2024. Learn more.
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Annual Summer Movies on the Lawn to Present National Film Registry Selections The Library will host its annual “Summer Movies on the Lawn” series starting July 6. The series featuring films from the Library’s National Film Registry will be presented Thursday evenings at sundown on the southeast lawn of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. Music will be presented prior to each film, with live performances on July 6, July 20 and Aug. 3. Learn more.
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Paid Research Fellowships at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress Applications are now open with a deadline of September 15, 2023, for multiple fellowship positions at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The Kluge Center exists to further the study of humanity through the use of the large and varied collections of the Library of Congress. All fields and disciplines within the social sciences and the humanities, including interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research, are welcome. Fellows hold book borrowing privileges and are in residence with desk space in the historic Thomas Jefferson Building with access to specialized librarians throughout the Library. Applicants may be US citizens or foreign nationals, and foreign nationals will be assisted in obtaining necessary visas. Learn more.
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Library of Congress Launches Video Game Challenge for Civic Engagement The Library is calling on video game developers to create fun and lightweight video games related to civics that incorporate Library resources. This challenge is part of an effort to improve public knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of American citizens. Winning video game entries, to be announced early next year, will receive $35,000 in cash prizes. Learn more.
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Library Acquires Music Manuscripts and Papers of Composer John Adams The Library of Congress has acquired the music manuscripts and papers of contemporary American composer, conductor and writer John Adams. Adams is known for works including the opera “Nixon in China” and concert pieces such as “Shaker Loops,” “Harmonielehre,” “Road Movies,” “Chamber Symphony” and “Short Ride in a Fast Machine.”
Click here for more information.
You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.
Library of Congress National Book Festival Announces Full Author Lineup The 2023 Library of Congress National Book Festival returns to the Washington Convention Center on Saturday, Aug. 12. The festival’s theme, “Everyone Has a Story,” celebrates the storyteller in us all.
Attendees will hear conversations that reflect their lived experiences and stories, with presentations for every type of reader. Memoirs will be featured on several stages, including actor Elliot Page’s “Pageboy” and R.K. Russell’s “The Yards Between Us: A Memoir of Life, Love and Football.” NPR journalists Mary Louise Kelly and Ari Shapirotell the stories of their lives and careers in their new books. Uyghur poet Tahir Hamut Izgil discusses his homeland and the persecution of Muslim minorities in western China.
Click here for more information.
You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.
U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón Reveals Poem to Fly on NASA’s Europa Clipper U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón is revealing a new poem that will fly into space aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper mission on a yearslong journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. The poem, first shared publicly during a special reading at the Library of Congress, will be engraved on the spacecraft set to launch in October 2024.
Click here for more information.
You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.
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| News from the Library of Congress Bobbitt Poetry Prizes, Join In, Live! at the Library programming, and more. | | Live at the Library to Feature Special Preview of New Exhibit, Bobbitt Prize Honorees in December Visitors will have the chance to preview the Library’s newest exhibition, “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America” and are invited to celebrate the holidays with the Library during Live at the Library in December. Winners of the Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove and Heid E. Erdrich, will also be honored during a special reading. Learn more.
Library Awards Bobbitt Poetry Prizes to Rita Dove and Heid E. Erdrich The Library of Congress will award the 2022 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry to former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove for lifetime achievement and to Heid E. Erdrich for her poetry collection “Little Big Bully.” Learn more.
2023 Innovator in Residence Rebuilds and Revisits Lost Communities The Library of Congress has appointed Rhode Island artist, educator and community-focused researcher Jeffrey Yoo Warren as 2023 Innovator in Residence. With his project, Seeing Lost Enclaves: Relational Reconstructions of Erased Historic Neighborhoods of Color, Yoo Warren will use photographs, maps, film and audio recordings from Library collections to build an immersive digital 3D model of historic Chinatowns in Providence, Rhode Island and another city that will be determined. Learn more.
Library Celebrates Successful Literacy Practices with 2022 Literacy Award Winners In celebration of the 2022 Literacy Awards winners and honorees, the Library of Congress will present a five-part webinar series to begin next month. A video and Story Map that are now available explore the impact of this year’s winners and honorees on individuals around the world through their successful literacy programs. Learn more.
Kislak Family Foundation Gives $10M to Create New Gallery Exploring History of Early Americas at Library of Congress The Kislak Family Foundation is donating $10 million to create a new exhibition at the Library of Congress that will share a fuller history of the early Americas, featuring the acclaimed Jay I. Kislak Collection of artifacts, paintings, maps, rare books and documents, the Library announced today. The new Kislak Gallery will be part of a reimagined visitor experience at the national library in the years ahead. Learn more.
Library Opens Award Nominations for Outstanding Federal Libraries, Librarians and Library Technicians To honor the innovations and successes of federal libraries, librarians and library technicians in meeting the information demands of government, businesses, scholarly communities and the public, the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) in the Library of Congress has opened nominations for its national awards for federal librarianship in fiscal year 2022. Learn more.
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Live at the Library to Feature Special Preview of New Exhibit, Bobbitt Prize Honorees in December Visitors will have the chance to preview the Library’s newest exhibition, “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America” and are invited to celebrate the holidays with the Library during Live at the Library in December. Winners of the Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove and Heid E. Erdrich, will also be honored during a special reading.
Click here for more information.
Library of Congress Awards Bobbitt Poetry Prizes to Rita Dove and Heid E. Erdrich The Library of Congress will award the 2022 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry to former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove for lifetime achievement and to Heid E. Erdrich for her poetry collection “Little Big Bully.”
Click here for more information.
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Library of Congress Opens Award Nominations for Outstanding Federal Libraries, Librarians and Library Technicians To honor the innovations and successes of federal libraries, librarians and library technicians in meeting the information demands of government, businesses, scholarly communities and the public, the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) in the Library of Congress has opened nominations for its national awards for federal librarianship in fiscal year 2022.
Click here for more information.
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Library Celebrates Successful Literacy Practices with 2022 Literacy Award Winners In celebration of the 2022 Literacy Awards winners and honorees, the Library of Congress will present a five-part webinar series to begin next month. A video and Story Map that are now available explore the impact of this year’s winners and honorees on individuals around the world through their successful literacy programs.
Click here for more information.
You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.
2023 Innovator in Residence Rebuilds and Revisits Lost Communities The Library of Congress has appointed Rhode Island artist, educator and community-focused researcher Jeffrey Yoo Warren as 2023 Innovator in Residence. With his project, Seeing Lost Enclaves: Relational Reconstructions of Erased Historic Neighborhoods of Color, Yoo Warren will use photographs, maps, film and audio recordings from Library collections to build an immersive digital 3D model of historic Chinatowns in Providence, Rhode Island and another city that will be determined.
Click here for more information.
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Library Seeks Applicants for 2023 Junior Fellows Program The Library of Congress is seeking applicants for its Junior Fellows Program, a summer internship held from May 22, 2023, to July 28, 2023. This 10-week, full-time paid internship is open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning and conducting research using the resources of the world’s largest library. Remote and onsite project opportunities are available. The deadline to apply is Monday, Nov. 28, 2022.
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Kislak Family Foundation Gives $10M to Create New Gallery Exploring History of Early Americas at Library of Congress The Kislak Family Foundation is donating $10 million to create a new exhibition at the Library of Congress that will share a fuller history of the early Americas, featuring the acclaimed Jay I. Kislak Collection of artifacts, paintings, maps, rare books and documents, the Library announced today. The new Kislak Gallery will be part of a reimagined visitor experience at the national library in the years ahead.
Click here for more information.
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Library of Congress Acquires Rare Codex from Central Mexico The Library of Congress has acquired the San Salvador Huejotzingo Codex, which documents legal proceedings from 1571 in which Indigenous Nahuatl officials in central Mexico accused their village’s Spanish canon, or administrator, of mistreatment, harassment and underpayment.
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Live at the Library to Mark 125th Anniversary of Thomas Jefferson Building, Veterans Day in November The new Thursday evening series Live at the Library is celebrating the 125thanniversary of the opening of the Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building with a rare open house and concert. Later in November for Veterans Day, the Library will honor veteran stories with a special music and narrative performance.
On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour drinks and snacks available for purchase in the Great Hall overlooking the Capitol and the building’s beautiful architecture while immersing themselves in the Library’s exhibits, collections and programs.
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| News from the Library of Congress The Giant Bible of Mainz, September/October LCM, Halloween & Día de Muertos Resources, and more. | | Library to Host Halloween Family Day with Authors R.L. Stine and Mary Pope Osborne The Library of Congress will host a day of family-friendly activities on Saturday, Oct. 22, in the Thomas Jefferson Building. The day will feature a special program at 2 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium with beloved authors R.L. Stine, author of the “Goosebumps” series, and Mary Pope Osborne, author of the “Magic Tree House” series.
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| The Giant Bible of Mainz Digitized by the Library of Congress The Giant Bible of Mainz, one of the last handwritten giant bibles in Europe, has now been digitized by the Library of Congress, ensuring online access to an important national treasure from the 15th century. The Rare Book and Special Collections Division will hold a virtual event with international scholars on Oct. 6 to present new research about the origins of one of the Library’s great treasures. Learn more. | |
October Marks 60 Years of NLS Music Section On October 6, 1897, the Librarian of Congress John Russell Young, opened a specially designated reading room for the blind. At that time, the reading room already contained 200 volumes of books and music items in raised characters. Young designated Etta Josselyn Giffin to direct the reading room. Giffin became an advocate for the blind, grew the braille library and its readership, and ensured the development of an accessible music collection. Learn more.
Halloween & Día de Muertos Resources Halloween is one of the most popular holidays in contemporary America, and it's becoming globally popular as well. Día de Muertos, a related but different holiday, is similarly popular in most of Spanish-speaking America, but especially in Mexico. This guide will lead you to some of the Library of Congress's most fascinating resources on Halloween, Día de Muertos, and the supernatural. Check out our research guide to learn more about this spooky days. Learn more.
| Researcher Story: Julie Centofanti Julie Centofanti, a biology student at Youngstown State University, started a club at her university in 2020 to transcribe historical documents included in the Library’s By the People project. A longer version of this interview appears on the Signal blog. Learn more. | |
| September/October LCM Learn how conservation specialists bring 19th-century toys back to life in the latest issue of Library of Congress Magazine. Learn more. | |
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Library to Host Halloween Family Day with Authors R.L. Stine and Mary Pope Osborne The Library of Congress will host a day of family-friendly activities on Saturday, Oct. 22, in the Thomas Jefferson Building. The day will feature a special program at 2 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium with beloved authors R.L. Stine, author of the “Goosebumps” series, and Mary Pope Osborne, author of the “Magic Tree House” series.
Click here for more information.
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| News from the Library of Congress Celebrating Hispanic Heritage , Lizzo at the Library, Concerts and More | | It’s About (Danged) Time: Lizzo at the Library!
You didn't think Lizzo played that antique flute on stage without practicing first, did you? She visited the Library Monday & played several of the flutes in our collection, which is the largest in the world. Read more.
| Library Announces Fall 2022 Concerts Concerts from the Library of Congress will return to the historic Coolidge Auditorium for the 2022-2023 season. The fall series begins Oct. 14 with multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Magda Giannikou and her global pop ensemble Banda Magda. The following day, the Apollon Musagète Quartet performs the Shostakovich piano quintet with pianist Garrick Ohlsson. Learn more. | |
| Chronicling America Reaches 50 States NEH recently awarded its first grant award to a National Digital Newspaper Program partner for the state of New Hampshire, ensuring access to significant newspapers from the entire United States. Dartmouth College will serve as the New Hampshire state hub, partnering with the New Hampshire State Library, the New Hampshire Historical Society, and the University of New Hampshire Library to identify historical newspapers that reflect the state’s political, economic, and cultural history for inclusion in Chronicling America. Learn more. | |
| Library Appoints New Director of the John W. Kluge Center Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced the appointment of Kevin Butterfield as director of the John W. Kluge Center. A noted historian, Butterfield brings two decades of experience teaching, writing and directing major research centers. Learn more. | |
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes Hispanic American contributions to US society and culture. Designated in 1968 when Congress passed Pub. L. 90-498 authorizing and requesting the President to issue an annual proclamation of National Hispanic Heritage during mid- September. September 15th marks the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16th. Explore our videos and blogs dedicated to this special month: * Hispanic Heritage Month Keynote Address * The Library Celebrates Hispanic Heritage * Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Cultural Contributions * Celebrating Hispanic Heritage in Murals
Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month. |
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Live at the Library to Feature Special Conversation with Photographer Annie Leibovitz in October The new Thursday evening series Live at the Library will feature a special event with photographer Annie Leibovitz and a rare viewing of one of the Library’s treasures, the Giant Bible of Mainz, in celebration of National German-American Friendship Day.
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Library Welcomes Teachers to Advance Accessibility of Primary Sources for Educators The Library of Congress kicked off the 2022-2023 school year by welcoming two teachers to its Capitol Hill campus. Jacqueline Katz and Caneshia Mills will work closely with staff in the Library’s Center for Learning, Literacy and Engagement to make primary sources from the Library’s collections more accessible for teachers, students and families throughout the United States.
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Collection of Radio Producer Jim Metzner Acquired by Library of Congress For nearly 50 years, radio producer and sound recordist Jim Metzner has explored and celebrated the universe of sound around the world, most famously in his nationally distributed daily radio series “Pulse of the Planet,” which concluded a 34-year, 8,000 program run on public and commercial radio June 3, while continuing as a monthly podcast.
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Chronicling America Reaches 50 States Chronicling America, the searchable online database of historic American newspapers, will soon include digitized newspapers from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and housed and maintained online at the Library of Congress, Chronicling America offers free online access to 19.9 million pages of newspapers published in the United States between 1777 and 1963.
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Library of Congress Announces Fall 2022 Concert Series Concerts from the Library of Congress will return to the historic Coolidge Auditorium for the 2022-2023 season. The fall series begins Oct. 14 with multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Magda Giannikou and her global pop ensemble Banda Magda. The following day, the Apollon Musagète Quartet performs the Shostakovich piano quintet with pianist Garrick Ohlsson.
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Library Announces Winners of 2022 Literacy Awards on International Literacy Day Three organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2022 Library of Congress Literacy Awards, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today. Top prizes are being awarded to Street Child, Make Way for Books and Young African Refugees for Integral Development.
The Literacy Awards Program, originated by philanthropist David M. Rubenstein in 2013, honors organizations that provide exemplary, innovative and replicable strategies to combat illiteracy. For 10 years, the Library of Congress has recognized the urgent need to achieve universal literacy through the Literacy Awards Program.
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Library of Congress Appoints New Director of the John W. Kluge Center Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced the appointment of Kevin Butterfield as director of the John W. Kluge Center. A noted historian, Butterfield brings two decades of experience teaching, writing and directing major research centers.
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National Book Festival Opening Celebration: Books Bring Us Together LIVE TONIGHT: 7 pm on the Library of Congress YouTube channel and available for viewing afterwards
On the eve of the 2022 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., join Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and festival co-chairman David M. Rubenstein as they welcome five of the more than 100 authors appearing at this year’s festival to talk about their work and their love of books.
This special event, live from the Library and sponsored by AARP, features Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Maraniss, bestselling historian Candice Millard, actor-author and woodworker Nick Offerman, author of favorites for young readers Andrea Davis Pinkney and Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong.
Then come to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Sept. 3 for the festival or watch selected author talks LIVE on the Library's YouTube channel.
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A Festival for Families: National Book Festival Offers Activities for Children, Families Children, teens and families will find a full schedule of free activities at the 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 3.
The schedule is online and can be sorted by stage and by area of interest. This year’s festival offers three stages for young readers: Please Read Me a Story, KidLit and Young Adult. The schedule also includes book signings, hands-on activities and more. The Library’s education staff organized these recommendations for families to make the most of the festival.
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Library to Host Congress.gov Virtual Public Forum on Sept. 21 The Library of Congress will hold a free virtual forum on Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. EDT to discuss Congress.gov, the authoritative source for federal legislative information, and to receive public feedback about the site. Registration is open to all. The Library encourages everyone interested in legislative data, from experienced Congress.gov users to those who may be new to tracking federal legislative activity to attend.
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Join the ‘Team That Reads’ for Library of Congress Night at Nationals Park on Aug. 30 Book and baseball lovers are invited to join Library of Congress Night at Nationals Park on Tuesday, Aug. 30, when the Washington Nationals take on the Oakland Athletics at 7:05 p.m. The evening will highlight the 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 3. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden will throw out the first pitch of the game.
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Live at the Library to Feature Actor Frances McDormand, Poet Laureate Ada Limón in September The new Thursday evening series Live at the Library will feature special events with actor Frances McDormand in conversation with radio and podcast producers the Kitchen Sisters, the inaugural reading of U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and more in September.
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Library of Congress National Book Festival Partners With PBS Books to Feature Literary Voices from the Festival Book lovers across the nation can enjoy an early literary taste of the 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival on PBS Books, which will host a series of virtual interviews with some of the festival’s featured authors beginning Aug. 15.
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Copyright Online Recordation System Opens for Public Use Culminating over two years of software development and extensive user-experience testing, the Library of Congress and the United States Copyright Office have opened the new Copyright Recordation System of the Enterprise Copyright System, a new technology platform, for use by the general public.
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August Film Screenings at the Packard Campus Theater A sampling of various film genres named to the National Film Registry for posterity will be showcased in August at the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia.
The series will offer a film every Friday at 7:30 p.m., a matinee on Saturdays at 2 p.m. followed by a 7:30 p.m. screening. Programs are free and the matinee shows will be family friendly. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Seating at the screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted.
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Library of Congress Appoints Leaders to Advance Digital-Forward Strategy for Discovery and Preservation of Collections The Library of Congress today announced the appointment of two digital transformation leaders to direct acquisition, discovery, use and preservation of the Library’s collections.
Kate Zwaard has been appointed associate librarian for Discovery and Preservation Services. Trevor Owens has been appointed as the director of digital services, one of three directorates in the new Discovery and Preservation Services unit led by Zwaard.
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Explore Library Collections, Reading Rooms During Live at the Library The new Thursday evening series Live at the Library will offer a special opportunity for visitors to explore the Library of Congress’ reading rooms, collections and exhibitions in August. Visitors are also invited to a special celebration of audiobooks and the Library’s recorded sound collections.
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| News from the Library of Congress
National Book Festival Author Lineup, U.S. Poet Laureate, Library’s Packard Campus Theater and More. | | Library of Congress National Book Festival Announces Full Author Lineup The 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival returns to the Washington Convention Center this Labor Day weekend on Saturday, Sept. 3, featuring more than 120 authors, poets and writers, and celebrating the festival theme, “Books Bring Us Together.” Learn more.
Librarian of Congress Names Ada Limón the Nation's 24th U.S. Poet Laureate
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the appointment of Ada Limón as the nation’s 24th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2022-2023. Limón will take up her duties in the fall, opening the Library’s annual literary season on Sept. 29 with a reading of her work in the Coolidge Auditorium. Learn more.
Jesmyn Ward to Receive 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced that the 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will be awarded to Jesmyn Ward. At 45, Ward is the youngest person to receive the Library’s fiction award for her lifetime of work. Learn more.
Library’s Packard Campus Theater Resumes Film Screenings
The Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater will reopen its doors to patrons with a new season of film screenings on Fridays and Saturdays, beginning July 15. The series will offer a film every Friday at 7:30 p.m., a matinee on Saturdays at 2 p.m. followed by a 7:30 p.m. screening. The matinee shows will be family friendly. Programs are free and open to the public. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Seating at the screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted. Learn more.
Visitors Invited to Explore Library Reading Rooms and Collections in July
The new Thursday evening series Live at the Library will offer the special opportunity for visitors to explore the Library of Congress’ reading rooms and collections in July – as well as enjoy summer movies and concerts on the lawn. Learn more. |
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Library of Congress National Book Festival Announces Full Author Lineup The 2022 Library of Congress National Book Festival returns to the Washington Convention Center this Labor Day weekend on Saturday, Sept. 3, featuring more than 120 authors, poets and writers, and celebrating the festival theme, “Books Bring Us Together.”
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Librarian of Congress Names Ada Limón the Nation's 24th U.S. Poet Laureate Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced the appointment of Ada Limón as the nation’s 24th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2022-2023. Limón will take up her duties in the fall, opening the Library’s annual literary season on Sept. 29 with a reading of her work in the Coolidge Auditorium.
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Library to Host Biannual Copyright Public Modernization Committee Meeting on July 28 The third public meeting of the Copyright Public Modernization Committee will take place virtually on July 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. EST. The meeting will include remarks from Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter and Judith Conklin, the Library’s chief information officer, as well as an update on the development of the Enterprise Copyright System (ECS) and related copyright IT modernization efforts. ECS is a modern IT platform being built by the Library to simplify the process for the public to conduct business with the Copyright Office.
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Jesmyn Ward to Receive 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that the 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will be awarded to Jesmyn Ward. At 45, Ward is the youngest person to receive the Library’s fiction award for her lifetime of work.
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Library’s Packard Campus Theater Resumes Film Screenings The Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater will reopen its doors to patrons with a new season of film screenings on Fridays and Saturdays, beginning July 15.
The relaunch of the film screenings at the art deco theater has several new offerings focused on a different theme every month. In July, “Packard Campus Potpourri” will include a selection of fan favorites and staff requests. Themes for future months include the “National Film Registry” (August); “Films of Futures Past” (September) and “Monsters Among Us” (October). The theater will conclude the year with a month of film noir in November and some great snow movies in December.
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Visitors Invited to Explore Library Reading Rooms and Collections in July The new Thursday evening series Live at the Library will offer the special opportunity for visitors to explore the Library of Congress’ reading rooms and collections in July – as well as enjoy summer movies and concerts on the lawn.
Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the Thomas Jefferson Building. Visit loc.gov/visit to reserve your pass for Live at the Library.
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Library to Award Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity to Historian of LGBTQ+ Life George Chauncey Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that historian George Chauncey will receive the 2022 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity. Chauncey is the DeWitt Clinton Professor of American History at Columbia University, a position he has held since 2017, and he directs the Columbia Research Institute on the Global History of Sexualities.
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Librarian of Congress Appoints Jennifer Meehan Director of Special Collections Jennifer Meehan, head of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library at Penn State University, has been named director of the Library of Congress’ Special Collections Directorate effective Aug. 1.
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| News from the Library of Congress Celebrating Pride Month, Juneteenth, Summer Movies and More | | Top Gun, Willy Wonka, Mary Poppins and More Featured in 2022 Summer Movie Series The Library of Congress will host its annual “Summer Movies on the Lawn” outdoor film festival this summer, starting July 7. The series of movies from the Library’s National Film Registry will be presented Thursday evenings at sundown on the southeast lawn of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. There will be music before each film, with live performances on July 7, July 21 and Aug. 4. Learn more.
June's Live at the Library Lineup to Feature Annie Leibovitz, Sean Doolittle of Washington Nationals
The Library of Congress continues its new Thursday evening "Live at the Library" series featuring special conversations with photographer Annie Leibovitz (June 23), baseball player and bookstore fan Sean Doolittle (June 30) and more in June. Learn more about our upcoming Live! at the Library events.
Celebrating Juneteenth Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the date Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and delivered General Order No. 3 announcing the end of slavery. The news arrived in Texas more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been formally issued on January 1.1863. On June 17, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed into law the bill that established Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19, as a legal public holiday. Learn about the history of Juneteenth with our blog posts from the Library of Congress. * Legislative History of Juneteenth * "Juneteenth" by Stephanie Hall * Ralph Ellison’s “Juneteenth" * A Long Day Coming: Happy Juneteenth
Explore our new exhibition on display, "Juneteenth: Books from the General Collections" in the Thomas Jefferson Building.
Celebrating Pride Month Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Explore some of our blogs that feature education about the LGBTQ+ community: * Speaking Out: LGBT Veterans * LGBTQ Activism and Contributions: A New Primary Source Set * Happy Pride Month from the Music Division * Drag Queens! Copyright Your Work! * Marriage Equality in the U.S. * LGBTQ Rights in Denmark * Pride in the Library: LGBTQ+ Voices in the Library’s Collections * Copyright and Drag * Remembering the impact of AIDS on the library community * Let’s Talk Comics: LGBTQIA+ Titles
Learn more about Pride Month.
Connecting Communities Digital Initiative Announces Second Round of Grant Opportunities for Libraries, Archives, Museums and Higher Education Institutions
Educational and cultural institutions that seek to amplify the stories of Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and other communities of color by using the Library’s digital collections are invited to apply for the second round of grant opportunities through the Of the People: Widening the Path Connecting Communities Digital Initiative at the Library of Congress. Learn more.
Veterans History Project Hosts Live Art Demonstrations and Discussions During Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month
The Library of Congress Veterans History Project will observe Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month in June with a three-day series of live art demonstrations and discussions about using art as a tool to manage trauma. Hosted in collaboration with Uniting US, a veteran-focused nonprofit arts organization, this six-session series will cover a wide range of artistic disciplines, with both in-person events at the Library and pre-recorded events posted online. Learn more.
| May/June Issue of LCM
Signed, sealed and delivered! Discover great letters from our collections in the latest issue of the Library of Congress Magazine. Download the current issue of Library of Congress Magazine. | |
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Exhibit and Panel of Historians Mark 50 Years Since Watergate A new exhibit commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Watergate scandal, exploring the role of the press, Congress, the courts and President Richard Nixon’s administration. The exhibit draws from 24 Library of Congress Manuscript Division collections, several of which were recently acquired or opened, in law, journalism and government.
The Library will host a panel of journalists and historians discussing “50 Years of Watergate” on the anniversary of the break-in, Friday, June 17, moderated by Washington Post Media Columnist Margaret Sullivan, and featuring former Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr., and historians Rick Perlstein, Leah Wright Rigueur and Dwight Chapin. The event will be livestreamed on the Library’s YouTube channel.
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Library of Congress Holds Online Workshops to Foster Understanding of Islam The Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division will host four workshops focusing on “Islam in Africa and the Middle East” beginning Friday, June 17, and continuing through November to foster a better understanding of Islamic culture. The online workshops are part of the Exploring Challenging Conversations planning project funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. to enhance public awareness of cross-regional and intercultural religious understanding in Africa, the Middle East and their global diasporas.
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Educational and cultural institutions that seek to amplify the stories of Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and other communities of color by using the Library’s digital collections are invited to apply for the second round of grant opportunities through the Of the People: Widening the Path Connecting Communities Digital Initiative at the Library of Congress.
The Connecting Communities Digital Initiative focuses on the ways technology can enable storytelling and expose more people to the Library’s expansive collections.
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The Library of Congress will host its fifth annual “Summer Movies on the Lawn” outdoor film festival this summer, starting July 7. The series of movies from the Library’s National Film Registry will be presented Thursday evenings at sundown on the southeast lawn of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. Music will be presented prior to each film, with live performances on July 7, July 21 and Aug. 4.
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The Library of Congress today announced the appointment of 46 undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students to its Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program to complete 27 projects. The 2022 cohort marks more than three decades that this signature initiative of the Library has been offered to students. The program is being offered as a virtual internship for the third year in a row, following a pivot in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fellows will collaborate across four time zones.
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