News from the Library of Congress

June 2017

  • June 14, 2017  (17-083)
    Librarian of Congress Names Tracy K. Smith Poet Laureate Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced the appointment of Tracy K. Smith as the Library’s 22nd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2017-2018. Smith will take up her duties in the fall, opening the Library’s annual literary season in September with a reading of her work in the Coolidge Auditorium.Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and a professor at Princeton University, succeeds Juan Felipe ...
    • Date: 2017-06-14
  • June 13, 2017  (17-087)
    Webcomics and Web Cultures Archives Now on loc.gov The Library of Congress today announced two new born-digital collections are now available on loc.gov – the Webcomics Web Archive and the Web Cultures Web Archive.The Webcomics Web Archive (loc.gov/collections/webcomics-web-archive/about-this-collection/) focuses on comics created specifically for the web and supplements the Library’s extensive holdings in comic books, graphic novels and original comic art.“Webcomics are an increasingly popular format utilized by contemporary creators in the ...
    • Date: 2017-06-13
  • June 12, 2017  (17-A05)
    Schedule of Upcoming Livestreamed Events Friday, June 16, 2 p.m.Wonder Woman's Legacy. Actress Lynda Carter talks with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden about the ongoing legacy of the Amazonian superhero, whom Carter portrayed in the 1975-1979 television series.Wednesday, June 21, 5 p.m.The Merchant of Venice Gets a Sequel. The Law Library of Congress presents a mock appeal for Shylock featuring U.S. Supreme Court Associate Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Friday, July 21, ...
    • Date: 2017-06-12
  • June 12, 2017  (17-082)
    Library to Host Outdoor Summer Film Festival on Capitol Hill The Library of Congress will host a special outdoor film festival this summer to showcase several modern classics that have been added to the Library’s National Film Registry. The six-film series—“LOC Summer Movies on the Lawn”—will be presented on Thursday evenings at 8 p.m. from July 13 through August 17 on the north lawn of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, across the street from ...
    • Date: 2017-06-12
  • June 9, 2017  (17-086)
    Letters About Literature Reading-Writing Program Winners Announced Letters About Literature, a Library of Congress national reading- and writing-promotion program, has announced its winners for 2017. The program, now in its 25th year, asks young people in grades 4 through 12 to write to an author (living or deceased) about how his or her book affected their lives.More than 43,700 young readers from across the country participated in the annual initiative, which ...
    • Date: 2017-06-09
  • June 7, 2017  (17-077)
    Educators Nationwide to Participate in Summer Teacher Institutes Several educators from across the nation have been selected to participate in five Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institutes to take place from June through August.Each year, the Library of Congress provides the opportunity for a group of K-12 educators to attend one of its five teacher institutes in Washington, D.C.During the five-day program, participants work with Library education specialists ...
    • Date: 2017-06-07
  • June 2, 2017  (17-081)
    Lynda Carter Joins "Library of Awesome" The Library of Congress today announced that Lynda Carter, the famed actress known for her role as Wonder Woman, will appear at Library festivities celebrating the world of comics. The Library of Congress last week announced “Library of Awesome,” a pop-up exhibit featuring items from the Library’s comic-book collections presented in conjunction with “Awesome-Con,” Washington, D.C.’s annual convention of comics, cosplay and pop culture, on ...
    • Date: 2017-06-02
  • June 1, 2017  (17-078)
    Library Welcomes Junior Fellows to 2017 Summer Intern Program The Library of Congress this week welcomed 37 undergraduate and graduate students to its highly competitive, Junior Fellows Summer Intern Program. From curating historic copyright material ,to helping develop new preservation techniques, making World War I veterans histories more accessible and exploring the creation of a digital scholar’s lab, the Junior Fellows will work on a wide range of special projects under the mentorship ...
    • Date: 2017-06-01

May 2017

  • May 30, 2017  (17-080)
    America and the Great War: A Library of Congress Illustrated History Between August 1914 and November 1918, World War I eradicated empires, ignited the Russian Revolution, reconfigured the world map and marked a turning point for the United States. A new book available today by Margaret E. Wagner, “America and the Great War: A Library of Congress Illustrated History,” published by Bloomsbury Press in association with the Library of Congress, commemorates the centennial of that ...
    • Date: 2017-05-30
  • May 30, 2017  (17-079)
    Veterans History Project Launches World War I Website Companion Exhibit The Veterans History Project (VHP) has launched a web exhibit that complements the Library of Congress’s major exhibition “Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I.”  The three-part web companion, “Experiencing War,” will help tell the larger story of the war from the perspective of those who served in it. Part I is now available at loc.gov/vets/.  Part II and Part III ...
    • Date: 2017-05-30
  • May 26, 2017  (17-076)
    Library Presents Pride Pop-Up Exhibit The Library of Congress announces “Pride in the Library,” a pop-up display that will feature items from the Library’s extensive LGBTQ+ collections and will be on view June 8-10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in addition to a series of special related programs. The display is free and open to the public. Free tickets are only required for the film screening. Tickets for the screening will ...
    • Date: 2017-05-26
  • May 26, 2017  (17-063)
    Library to Celebrate the World of Comics The Library of Congress is gearing up for a super summer treat celebrating the role of comics and graphic novels in promoting literacy, as collectibles, in the arts, advertising, sociology, popular culture and history. Making a variety of collection items more accessible to the general public, the “Library of Awesome” features a pop-up display of famous comic-book issues, drawings, original comic strips and related ...
    • Date: 2017-05-26
  • May 25, 2017  (17-074)
    Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Now Online The Library of Congress has placed online nearly 25,000 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, which depict the structure and use of buildings in U.S. cities and towns. Maps will be added monthly until 2020, for a total of approximately 500,000.The online collection now features maps published prior to 1900.  The states available include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, ...
    • Date: 2017-05-25
  • May 24, 2017  (17-075)
    "Merchant of Venice" Gets a Sequel The Law Library of Congress will present a live performance titled, “Justice for Shylock: A Mock Appeal Commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Venice Ghetto” on Wednesday, June 21 at 5 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium, located on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. The event is free, but tickets are required and available at this website. The ...
    • Date: 2017-05-24
  • May 19, 2017  (17-065)
    Washington Talking Book and Braille Library of Seattle Named Network Library of the Year The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), part of the Library of Congress, has named the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) of Seattle as the Network Library of the Year for 2016.  NLS today presented the annual award, which carries a $1,000 cash prize, during a ceremony at the Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C.  ...
    • Date: 2017-05-19
  • May 17, 2017  (17-A04)
    Jefferson Building To Close Early May 17 On Wednesday, May 17, the Great Hall, all exhibitions and the Library Shop in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress will close to the public at 3 p.m. for a special event.Additionally, the West Main doors, West Basement (Carriage) doors and the Capitol Visitors Center tunnel will be closed to the general public and researchers.Researchers with Library-issued credentials may access the Jefferson ...
    • Date: 2017-05-17
  • May 16, 2017  (17-068)
    Library Offers Largest Release of Digital Catalog Records in History The Library of Congress announced today that it is making 25 million records in its online catalog available for free bulk download at loc.gov/cds/products/marcDist.php. This is the largest release of digital records in the Library’s history.The records also will be easily accessible at data.gov, the open-government website hosted by the General Services Administration (GSA). Until now, these bibliographic records have only been available individually ...
    • Date: 2017-05-16
  • May 15, 2017  (17-072)
    Marx Brothers, Rare Silent Films and Sounds of the '60s Featured at Packard Campus Theater in June Screenings surrounding the American utopianism known as 1967’s “Summer of Love” will open the month at the Packard  Campus Theater, featuring two evenings of top American and British rock acts of the 1960s from the prime time television series “Shindig!” and the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, as well as a screening of the 1967 feature “The Happening.” The American family comedy team known as The ...
    • Date: 2017-05-15
  • May 12, 2017  (17-073)
    Golden Age of Pictorial Maps Is Subject of Book Discussion Pictorial maps – maps that include artwork of objects, animals, people and even imaginary creatures – have been around since medieval times. The tradition continued to the modern era, reaching its apex in the 1920s-1970s in the United States.The Library of Congress has an extensive collection of these maps in its Geography and Map Division. Many of the maps reproduced in “Picturing America: The ...
    • Date: 2017-05-12
  • May 9, 2017  (17-071)
    Ancient Sasanian Empire Subject of June Symposium The African and Middle Eastern Division at the Library of Congress (AMED), in cooperation with the Iranian-American Alumni of the Alborz High School will present a symposium on the legacy of the ancient Persian Sasanian empire (224–651 AD). The event is part of an annual series of symposia on the ancient civilizations of the Near East organized by AMED at the Library of Congress."From ...
    • Date: 2017-05-09
  • May 8, 2017  (17-061)
    Babel Through Latin-American Jewish Eyes Artist Mirta Kupferminc and psychoanalyst Tova Shvartzman will discuss art, Judaism and psychoanalysis in conversations with University of Maryland professor Saul Sosnowski, at the Library of Congress.   The lecture and short film will take place at noon on Friday, June 2, in Dining Room A on the sixth floor of the Library’s James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington D.C.  The event is ...
    • Date: 2017-05-08
  • May 5, 2017  (17-069)
    Library Amps Up Summer with Pop-Up Exhibits Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced that the Library will host a series of pop-up displays in its Thomas Jefferson Building to showcase a wider variety of its vast collections.The pop-ups will feature items related to current events or connect with something happening locally.“I am so thrilled to announce pop-ups at the Library of Congress,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “We have ...
    • Date: 2017-05-05
  • May 5, 2017  (17-064)
    FEDLINK Announces Annual Awards for Federal Librarianship The Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) has announced the winners of its national awards for federal librarianship, which recognize the many innovative ways that federal libraries, librarians and library technicians fulfill the information demands of government, business, scholarly communities and the American public.FEDLINK will honor the 2016 award winners at the FEDLINK Spring Exposition on May 9, 2017, at the Library of Congress ...
    • Date: 2017-05-05
  • May 3, 2017  (17-066)
    Library to Combine Summer and Fall Youth Reading-Writing Programs The Library of Congress is combining its two reading and writing programs for young people – A Book That Shaped Me and Letters About Literature. The move will enable the Library to better leverage its resources, to brand the programs more consistently and to encourage greater participation in these long-running programs.The Library today kicks off its annual summer contest, now titled A Book That ...
    • Date: 2017-05-03
  • May 2, 2017  (17-060)
    Library to Present Symposium on Civil Liberties During World War I Distinguished legal scholars will examine the challenges to civil liberties during World War I, in a symposium at the Library of Congress on June 8.“Resistance and Rights: Civil Liberties during World War I” will take place from 2:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, in the Montpelier Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.  ...
    • Date: 2017-05-02
  • May 1, 2017  (17-062)
    Library Investigates "Mostly Lost" Films The Library of Congress has a casting call out for scholars, archivists and film enthusiasts to participate in a cinematic treasure hunt by registering for its free “Mostly Lost” workshop at the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia, Thursday, June 15 through Saturday, June 17.  The quest of the film detectives is to find clues that will lead to the identification of ...
    • Date: 2017-05-01

April 2017

  • April 27, 2017  (17-A02)
    Possible Federal Government Shutdown In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government, beginning Saturday, April 29, all Library of Congress buildings will close to the public and researchers. All public events will be cancelled.Also, all inquiries and requests to the Library of Congress web-based services will not be received or responded to until the shutdown ends. Information on loc.gov will not be updated. Copyright.gov and Congress.gov ...
    • Date: 2017-04-27
  • April 27, 2017  (17-059)
    Courtroom Illustration Exhibition Now Open The Library of Congress today opened “Drawing Justice: The Art of Courtroom Illustration,” a new exhibition featuring 98 works of art that capture the drama of high-profile court cases in the last 50 years.The exhibition will run through Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in the South Gallery on the second floor of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.  It is ...
    • Date: 2017-04-27
  • April 25, 2017  (17-A03)
    Jefferson Building To Close Early May 6 On Saturday, May 6, the Great Hall, Main Reading Room, all exhibitions and the Library Shop in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress will close to the public and researchers at 3 p.m. for a special event.Additionally, the West Main doors, West Basement (Carriage) doors and the Capitol Visitors Center tunnel will be closed to the general public and researchers.All other ...
    • Date: 2017-04-25
  • April 25, 2017  (17-057)
    Veterans History Project Panel Discussion on Effects of PTSD, May 24 The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress will host a panel discussion on the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the veteran community.At noon on Wednesday, May 24, a panel of renowned experts will speak on the effects of PTSD on veterans and how the Veterans Treatment Courts (VTC) support those who have run afoul of the law by proving appropriate ...
    • Date: 2017-04-25
  • April 24, 2017  (17-056)
    Forthcoming Events at the Library of Congress May-July 2017 Note: Events subject to change; all telephone numbers are 202 area code; additional venue information provided below listingsMay 1 – June 30DISPLAYOngoing display of JFK materials that includes special biographical information about JFK and books written by the former president. Also featured are books about Kennedy in foreign languages. Available for view Monday - Saturday, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. in the Great Hall South ...
    • Date: 2017-04-24
  • April 21, 2017  (17-058)
    Author Will Discuss Young People's Book on Famous Interracial Marriage Case The author of a book for young people about a famous legal case that cleared the way for interracial marriage in the United States will speak at the Library of Congress on May 3, as this year’s Jonah S. Eskin Memorial Program.Patricia Hruby Powell will speak about her new book, “Loving vs. Virginia,” which features illustrations by Shadra Strickland. Powell will lead a program ...
    • Date: 2017-04-21
  • April 17, 2017  (17-055)
    Library Presents Lectures on Maps of World War I The Library of Congress and the Philip Lee Phillips Map Society will present “Mapping the Great War,” a program on May 25 featuring two lectures on the maps of World War I.The event will start at noon on Thursday, May 25, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.The program, free and ...
    • Date: 2017-04-17
  • April 14, 2017  (17-048)
    Swann Foundation Fellow to Discuss German Cartoonist Swann Foundation Fellow Elizabeth (Biz) Nijdam, in a lecture at the Library of Congress, will discuss the comic art of the East German-born artist Anke Feuchtenberger in the context of her artistic training and the political climate in which she developed.Nijdam will present “‘It’s Not Just Horror and Black:’ The Comics of Anke Feuchtenberger and Their Many Expressionisms” at noon on Friday, April 28, ...
    • Date: 2017-04-14
  • April 12, 2017  (17-054)
    Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings To Discuss Spirit of Service and Idealism Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao, a former director of the Peace Corps, and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, a former Peace Corps volunteer, will reflect on their experiences as leaders in government and business and discuss the need for a spirit of service and idealism. The talk will be moderated by Ann Compton, former White House correspondent for ABC News.The discussion, “Inspiring a Sense ...
    • Date: 2017-04-12
  • April 11, 2017  (17-053)
    Library Marks 100th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy's Birth The Library of Congress will mark the centennial of John F. Kennedy’s birthday with special programming, including a film, lectures and a three-month display of the former president’s biographical materials and books.All programs are free and open to the public.  Tickets are not needed.  Except for the film, the events will take place in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, ...
    • Date: 2017-04-11
  • April 11, 2017  (17-052)
    May At Packard Brings Live Performances and Christopher Guest Films The ongoing “Marty Stuart Presents…” concert series returns at the Library of Congress Packard Campus Theater on Wednesday, May 10 for an evening of music and dialogue featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Roger McGuinn as part of May programming that also features Christopher Guest films and a presentation by the director of the Filmmuseum München. Tickets are required for the McGuinn ...
    • Date: 2017-04-11
  • April 10, 2017  (17-050)
    Card Catalog's History is Focus of New Library Publication A new book exploring the history of the card catalog, that venerated chest of small drawers that contained the known universe, has been published by the Library of Congress in association with Chronicle Books. The lavishly illustrated volume tells the story of libraries’ organizing approaches—from the layout of papyrus scrolls at the Library of Alexandria and playing cards with notes on the back that ...
    • Date: 2017-04-10
  • April 10, 2017  (17-049)
    Panel to Discuss Justice Through the Perspective of an Eyewitness Artist, April 27 The Law Library of Congress will host a panel discussion on “Justice Through the Perspective of an Eyewitness Artist,” featuring courtroom artists Marilyn Church, Pat Lopez and Bill Robles.The event marks the opening of the Library of Congress exhibition “Drawing Justice: The Art of Courtroom Illustrations” on April 27 and also celebrates the Law Library’s observation of Law Day on May 1.The panel discussion ...
    • Date: 2017-04-10
  • April 7, 2017  (17-051)
    Gene Luen Yang Launches "Reading Without Walls" Project Gene Luen Yang, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, will launch his Reading Without Walls reading program during a Library of Congress event on Monday, April 10, at 10 a.m. in Room LJ 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E. in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets are required. Attendees will be seated on ...
    • Date: 2017-04-07
  • April 7, 2017  (17-047)
    Kluge Center to Host Panel on Religious Belief in American History, May 4 The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress will host a panel discussion in May that will take a historical look at religious belief in America. From 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, three noted historians—John Witte, Sarah Barringer Gordon and Peter Manseau—will participate in a panel discussion on “Religion in American History: Moments of Crisis and Opportunity.”  The program will ...
    • Date: 2017-04-07
  • April 5, 2017  (17-046)
    Celebratory Events to Honor Juan Felipe Herrera, April 26 The Library of Congress will honor Juan Felipe Herrera, who is concluding his second term as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, with a series of celebratory events on Wednesday, April 26. The celebration, titled “Speak the People/the Spark/el Poema,” will kick off at noon with a choral performance by the Fresno State Chamber Singers in room 119 on the first floor of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, ...
    • Date: 2017-04-05
  • April 4, 2017  (17-044)
    "Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I" Opens Today The Library of Congress today opens a major exhibition to commemorate the centennial of World War I.  “Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I” tells the stories of Americans in the war, through correspondence, music, film, recorded sound, diaries, posters, photographs, scrapbooks, medals, maps and materials from the Veterans History Project.The exhibition is located in the Southwest Gallery on the ...
    • Date: 2017-04-04
  • April 3, 2017  (17-043)
    Library's Packard Campus Welcomes Rock and Roll Hall of Famer The Library’s Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation is hosting a night of music and dialogue featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and frontman of rock group “The Byrds,” Roger McGuinn, as part of the ongoing “Marty Stuart Presents …” concert series at the Packard Campus Theater.McGuinn will be joined by multiple Grammy-Award -Winning country music singer-songwriter Marty Stuart at 7:30 p.m. ...
    • Date: 2017-04-03

March 2017

  • March 31, 2017  (17-045)
    Rare Harriet Tubman Photo Among Album Treasures Acquired Through Collaboration of National Cultural Institutions The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Library of Congress today announced the joint acquisition of an album of 44 rare photographs, including a previously unrecorded portrait of abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman and the only known photograph of John Willis Menard, the first African American man elected to the U.S. Congress.The collaboration ensures these pieces of ...
    • Date: 2017-03-31
  • March 31, 2017  (17-040)
    Library Offers Events and Initiatives to Commemorate World War I The Library of Congress continues its array of programming to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I.  The events and initiatives include exhibitions, lectures, symposia, blogs, publications, digitized collections, War Gardens, veterans’ stories, educational tools, film programs and research guides.The Library is uniquely prepared to tell the story of U.S. participation in World War I, because it holds the ...
    • Date: 2017-03-31
  • March 30, 2017  (17-042)
    Author to Discuss Phenomena that Keep the Oceans in Motion Jonathan White, a surfer, sailor and the author of “Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean” (Trinity Press, 2017), takes readers across the world’s oceans to discover the science and lore of ocean tides.He will discuss and sign his book on Thursday, April 20, at noon in the Library of Congress Mary Pickford Theater, third floor, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, ...
    • Date: 2017-03-30
  • March 30, 2017  (17-041)
    Book Talk to Explore How Spain and France Helped America Win the Revolution According to author Larrie D. Ferreiro, the American Revolution had little chance of being won by the American colonists, if it had not been for the assistance of French and Spanish soldiers, money and weapons.  In “Brothers at Arms: American Independence and the Men of France and Spain Who Saved It” (Knopf, 2016), Ferreiro discusses the odds against an American victory, with the colonists ...
    • Date: 2017-03-30
  • March 29, 2017  (17-029)
    National Recording Registry Picks Are "Over the Rainbow" Judy Garland’s hit single “Over The Rainbow”; the original-cast album of “The Wiz”; the rap group N.W.A’s seminal album, “Straight Outta Compton”; the Eagles’ 1976 “Their Greatest Hits”; and the national anthem of black America have been designated as aural treasures worthy of preservation as part of America’s patrimony. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today named these recordings and 20 other titles to the ...
    • Date: 2017-03-29
  • March 28, 2017  (17-037)
    Library Announces Diverse Lineup of Authors for 2017 National Book Festival The Library of Congress announced today that dozens of best-selling authors will speak and meet the public at the 17th annual National Book Festival. This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 2, from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.), at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.The diverse lineup of authors, poets and illustrators already committed ...
    • Date: 2017-03-28