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a man exploring the Not an Ostrich Exhibit in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson Building has reopened to visitors via timed, ticketed entry. More

Visit the Library of Congress and experience the world’s largest collection of culture and creativity like never before. The Thomas Jefferson Building features exhibitions and installations that bring the Library’s unparalleled collections to life. Whether you are in Washington, D.C., or at home, let the Library of Congress take you on a unique and personal journey through history and culture. Millions of items are waiting for you—explore, discover, and be inspired.

Join In: Voluntary Associations in America

December 16, 2022–July 6, 2024
South Gallery, Thomas Jefferson Building

America has been called “a nation of joiners.” In their daily lives, in their communities, and in their work and play, Americans have long joined voluntary associations to connect with others, pursue shared goals, and spur social change. Join In: Voluntary Associations in America explores this impulse to join together for a common purpose through a selection of items from the Library of Congress collections representing organizations from across the nation and across time.

Not an Ostrich: & Other Images from America's Library

Opened March 23, 2022
Southwest Gallery, Thomas Jefferson Building

Organized by the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles and drawn from the photography collections of the Library of Congress, presents a taste of this institution’s spectacular holdings of more than 14 million photographs. The images reproduced for this exhibition, made between 1839 and today, trace the evolution of photography, from daguerreotypes and other early processes to contemporary digital technology.

Thomas Jefferson's Library

Southwest Pavilion, Second Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
April 11, 2008–Ongoing

Take a trip through a re-created version of Jefferson’s library, which assembles 6,487 volumes that founded the Library of Congress, and learn how one of America’s greatest thinkers was inspired through the world of books.

Herblock Gallery

Graphic Arts Galleries, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
March 18, 2011–Ongoing

Celebrates the work of editorial cartoonist Herbert L. Block—better known as "Herblock"—with an ongoing display of ten original drawings, to change every six months, drawn from the Library's extensive Herbert L. Block Collection.

Here to Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin

Gershwin Gallery, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
December 11, 2008–Ongoing

The exhibition celebrates the lives and work of George and Ira Gershwin through music manuscripts and other documents from the Gershwin collection that chronicle their lives and careers. The display includes George’s piano and desk, Ira’s typing table and typewriter, and self-portraits in oil by each brother.

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