Library of Congress: News

Veterans History Project Spotlights the Service of Submariners

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:04:12 GMT

United States Navy submariners Robert Hunt and Arthur Rehme’s remarkable stories are just two of 12 candid, first-person accounts the Veterans History Project (VHP) of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is spotlighting in a website feature titled, “Submarines: The Silent Service." These one-of-a-kind stories of those who volunteered to serve during conflicts from World War II to the Cold War may be found at www.loc.gov/vets/.

Poet Laureate’s Project, “Poetry for the Mind’s Joy,” Featured on Library of Congress Website

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:33:28 GMT

Detailed information on U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan’s poetry project with community colleges—“Poetry for the Mind’s Joy”—can now be found on the Library of Congress website at www.loc.gov/poetry/mindsjoy/.

Veterans History Project Marks Tenth Year with Events and Initiatives

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:04:54 GMT

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress American Folklife Center has planned national and local events, activities and initiatives during 2010 to mark the 10th anniversary of its congressional mandate to collect, preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans.

New Reference Work on Regional Americana

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:49:03 GMT

"Series Americana: Post Depression-Era Regional Literature, 1938-1980: A Descriptive Bibliography" by Carol Fitzgerald has just been published by Oak Knoll Press and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

William Roger Louis Named to Kluge Chair

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:06:03 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed William Roger Louis, a distinguished historian from the University of Texas at Austin, to the John W. Kluge Center Chair for Countries and Cultures of the North.

Library O'Sullivan Photos on Display at Smithsonian

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:28:22 GMT

Timothy H. O'Sullivan is considered one of the most important photographers of the American West. In the 19th century, O'Sullivan -- carrying a heavy, large-format camera and boxes of glass-plate negatives that were developed in the field -- created a large and distinguished body of work. The Library of Congress holds more than 900 O'Sullivan images in the Prints and Photographs Division.

Ninety-three items from the Library's collection will be displayed in a major exhibition "Framing the West: The Survey Photographs of Timothy H. O'Sullivan" from Friday, Feb. 12, to Sunday, May 9, at the Smithsonian Institution's American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Frontier Photos Subject of New Book

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:27:42 GMT

Published jointly by the Library of Congress in association with Yale University Press and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, "Framing the West," is the companion catalog to a new Smithsonian exhibition of the same name. The volume includes essays by Toby Jurovics, the exhibition curator, who is the curator of photography at the American Art Museum; Carol Johnson, curator of photography at the Library of Congress; Glenn Willumson, associate professor at the University of Florida; and Will Stapp, an independent scholar.

New Home for New York Center for the Book

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:26:19 GMT

The Library of Congress has approved a proposal from the New York Library Association that it become the new host of the New York Center for the Book.

THOMAS Upgrades Mark System's 15th Anniversary

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:55:04 GMT

In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the Library’s public legislative information system known as THOMAS has been updated for the second session of the 111th Congress. New items include a bookmarking and sharing toolbar, a "Top Five" bills of the week feature, a new RSS feed, links to contact information for members of Congress, a tip of the week, enhanced visibility of the PDF versions of bills and an increased timeout interval.

American Folklife Center Announces Recipients of Archie Green Fellowships

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:24:53 GMT

Robert McCarl, Steve Zeitlin, Nick Spitzer and Maureen Loughran have been awarded the 2010-2011 Archie Green Fellowships from the American Folklife Center (AFC).

“The Exquisite Corpse Adventure” Exclusive Story: Episode 6 Released Online

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:08:21 GMT

Episode six of "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure," an episodic story available exclusively from the Library of Congress, will debut Friday, Dec. 4, at www.Read.gov. Authors Patricia and Fredrick McKissack and illustrator James Ransome are featured with this episode titled "Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!"

"Poet and Poem" Radio Series for 2010

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:44:04 GMT

Seventeen noted writers will be featured in the 2010 season of "The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress." The radio series is available to all public radio stations via the Public Radio Satellite System’s ContentDepot, starting Jan. 13, 2010.

Alan Lomax Fellowships Available

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:58:40 GMT

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress invites qualified scholars to apply for a post-doctoral fellowship for advanced research based on the Alan Lomax Collection.

Paul McCartney Awarded Third Gershwin Prize

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:17:50 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today named music legend Paul McCartney as the recipient of the third Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. An all-star tribute concert is planned for spring 2010.

American Folklife Center Announces Fellowship to Honor Archie Green

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:21:23 GMT

A fellowship has been created at the American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress to honor the memory of Archie Green (1917-2009), the pioneering folklorist who championed the establishment of the center. The Archie Green Fellowship will support new documentation and research into the culture and traditions of American workers and will create digital archival materials that will be preserved in the AFC’s archive and made available to researchers and the public.

House Designates National Veterans History Project Week

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:46:50 GMT

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 866 on November 3, 2009, to designate National Veterans History Project Week "to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our Nation in times of war and conflict."

VHP Spotlights Service of Native American Vets

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:46:04 GMT

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress American Folklife Center spotlights his story and other interviews of Native Americans in "Willing to Serve: American Indians," a website feature that comprises nine first-person accounts of those who volunteered to serve during conflicts from World War II to Iraq. These one-of-a-kind stories can be found at www.loc.gov/vets/.

Cataloger's Desktop 3.0 Now Available

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:11:32 GMT

The Library of Congress this week launched Cataloger's Desktop 3.0, a major modernization of its popular web-based subscription service of important cataloging and metadata resources.

Michael Handy Appointed Deputy Associate Librarian for Library Services

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:34:39 GMT

Michael Handy, special assistant to the associate librarian for Library Services, has been appointed deputy associate librarian for Library Services. He will be responsible for new initiatives in Library Services, ensuring that projects and programs are carried out effectively and integrated into the existing organizational structure.

Accepting Swann Fellowship Applications

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:58:33 GMT

The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship for the 2010-2011 academic year. Applications are due by close of business on Friday, Feb. 15, 2010, and notification will occur in the spring.

VHP Launches Field Kit Companion Video

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:56:04 GMT

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress American Folklife Center offers a new video to help volunteer interviewers navigate the VHP Field Kit—a "how-to" guide on recording the first-person oral histories of American wartime veterans. Visit www.loc.gov/vets/ to download the video. RealPlayer is required.

Reports Released on Bibliographic Record Production

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:07:55 GMT

The Library of Congress is releasing today the results of its analysis of the creation and distribution of bibliographic data in U.S. and Canadian libraries.

Young Readers Center Opens

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:51:12 GMT

The Library of Congress, for the first time in its history, has a space devoted to the reading interests of children and teens in its historic Thomas Jefferson Building.

On Oct. 23, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington welcomed a group of young people, parents and others to the new Young Readers Center. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and her three children and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) and his son helped open the new center.

Ft. Meade Facility Wins Award

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:57:02 GMT

The team that managed construction of Modules 3 and 4 and four Cold Storage Rooms at the Library of Congress Ft. Meade High-Density Storage Facility were honored with a national award yesterday in Orlando, Fla., from the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA).

Library's NDIIPP Project Receives Award

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:20:01 GMT

Government Computer News (GCN) has named the Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) as one of the top federal information technology projects of 2009. The award was presented during the annual GCN Annual Awards Gala on October 22.

Sanborn Maps Online Checklist

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:52:16 GMT

The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress announces the new Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Online Checklist, which can be accessed directly at www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/sanborn/. This collection of maps, produced for business purposes, has proven to be a boon to historians.

New PSAs Launched to Promote Reading

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:24:22 GMT

The Library of Congress and the Advertising Council joined today to launch a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to encourage children and adults to become engaged in reading and all other forms of literacy.

Library Studies State Copyright Laws

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:06:22 GMT

The Library of Congress announced today the release of the fifth in a series of landmark studies commissioned by the U. S. Congress and published by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) that highlight the challenges facing archives, libraries and other cultural institutions specializing in the preservation and public access to historic recorded sound materials. The report examines copyright laws in 10 U.S. states related to sound recordings released before 1972. This is the first in-depth analysis of individual state copyright laws.

Genaro Arriagada Named to Kluge Center

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:51:14 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named Genaro Arriagada, former ambassador of Chile to the United States, as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Library’s John W. Kluge Center.

David Christian Named to Kluge Center

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:44:23 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named David Christian, a professor from Australia, as Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Library’s John W. Kluge Center.

Abdolkarim Soroush Named to Kluge Center

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:44:14 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named Abdolkarim Soroush—renowned Iranian thinker, philosopher and reformer—as Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Library’s John W. Kluge Center.

Library Launches Multimedia Website Aimed at Readers

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:04:21 GMT

During the National Book Festival, on Saturday, Sept. 26, the Library of Congress will launch a new multimedia website offering resources from throughout the Library designed to encourage the reading of books and to interest users in learning about the authors and illustrators who create them.

C. Raja Mohan Named Kissinger Scholar

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:03:45 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed C. Raja Mohan, professor of South Asian studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, as the Henry Alfred Kissinger Scholar in Foreign Policy and International Relations in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Baseball is Subject of New Library of Congress Publication

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:19:02 GMT

The Library of Congress, home of the world’s largest baseball-related collection, presents "Baseball Americana: Treasures from the Library of Congress," a lavishly illustrated history of the national pastime. From baseball’s biggest stars to sandlot street urchins, from its most newsworthy stories to Little-League games, the book tells the history of the sport’s hardscrabble origins, rich cultural heritage and uniquely American character.

Herblock's Work is Subject of New Retrospective Volume

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:18:26 GMT

To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of political cartoonist Herbert Block (Herblock), the Library of Congress and the Herb Block Foundation, in association with W. W. Norton & Company, have published "HERBLOCK: The Life and Works of the Great Political Cartoonist." Written by Haynes Johnson and Harry L. Katz, this richly illustrated volume will delight Herblock fans as well as a new generation of cartoon enthusiasts.

Students Demonstrate WDL Use in Classroom

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:24:57 GMT

The Library of Congress today demonstrated the potential offered by the World Digital Library to enrich the learning of students, both in the classroom and at home, for more than 100 guests in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building.

2010 Calendars Available at the Library of Congress

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:24:18 GMT

Eight calendars featuring the wide-ranging collections of the Library of Congress have been released for 2010. Produced by the Library of Congress in cooperation with Pomegranate Communications, Universe Publishing or Cavallini & Co., the calendars draw on the Library's collections to illuminate and illustrate different facets of travel, literature, history and film.

FLICC Awards for Federal Librarianship

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:57:10 GMT

The Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) 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 and scholarly communities, and the American public.

AFC Presents New American Memory Collection

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:49:32 GMT

The Library of Congress' American Folklife Center debuts a new presentation, "American English-Dialect Recordings: The Center for Applied Linguistics Collection," as part of the Library's American Memory collections website today. The collection can be found at memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/linguistics/.

VHP Spotlights Coast Guard, Merchant Marines

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:58:37 GMT

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress American Folklife Center spotlights the interviews of United States Coast Guard and Merchant Marine veterans in "They Also Served," a website feature that comprises a dozen first-person accounts of those who went to sea to transport troops, deliver vital supplies, protect our shores, and patrol enemy waters. These one-of-a-kind stories can be found at www.loc.gov/vets/.

U.S. Air Force Photos Acquired

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:57:57 GMT

Master fine-art photographer Nicholas A. Price spent 18 months, from 2005 to 2007, capturing images of the men and women of the U.S. Air Force to tell the story of their pride and dedication, stamina and service. Price took more than 8,000 photographs and painstakingly selected 60 to become the touring exhibition "Cleared Hot! An Exclusive and Personal Photographic Journey into the U.S. Air Force."

Library Brings National Book Festival Direct to Mobile-Phone Users

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:38:15 GMT

The Library of Congress has launched its first-ever mobile campaign to provide National Book Festival-goers with SMS text alerts about the festival, which will be held on the National Mall from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 26. By texting ‘BOOK’ to 61399, mobile-phone users can opt in to receive the latest festival announcements.

Library to Acquire Jack Kemp Papers

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:53:52 GMT

The family of former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Republican congressman, vice presidential candidate and professional football player Jack F. Kemp (1935-2009) has announced its intention to donate his papers to the Library of Congress. The papers are currently on deposit at Pepperdine University.

Roberta I. Shaffer Appointed Law LIbrarian of Congress

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:42:01 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Roberta I. Shaffer to the position of Law Librarian of Congress.

Short-Term Kislak Fellows Announced

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:05:17 GMT

The Library of Congress announces Luisa Elena Alcala and Jennifer Loughmiller-Newman as Short-Term Kislak Fellows at the Library’s John W. Kluge Center, where they will research cultures and history of the Americas.

Zany Serial Story, Website to Launch

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:40:22 GMT

National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka—the author of "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" and the "Time Warp Trio" series—is the first in a chain of celebrated authors writing a serial adventure story for initial exclusive publication on the Library of Congress’ new read.gov website.

2009 Koussevitzky Foundation Commission Winners

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:41:07 GMT

The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress and the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, Inc., have awarded commissions for new musical works to seven composers. Jointly granting the commissions are the foundations and the performing organizations that will present the newly composed works.

K. Shankar Bajpai Named to Kluge Center

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:03:08 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named K. Shankar Bajpai—who served as India’s ambassador to Pakistan, China and the United States—as Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Library’s John W. Kluge Center.

Library of Congress Gives Fay Kanin 100th Living Legend Award

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:37:11 GMT

Fay Kanin's name is legendary in Hollywood, but she has primarily left her mark behind the scenes of the motion picture industry and in the unheralded field of film preservation. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington recently honored Kanin for her 20 years of service to the Library as chair of the Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) with a presentation of the institution's 100th Living Legend Award.

Philip Trager Photo Archive at LC

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:21:09 GMT

Architecture and dance photographer Philip Trager, whose work is now on display at the National Building Museum exhibition "Form and Movement," will be placing his entire ongoing body of work in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress and DuraCloud Launch Pilot Program Using Cloud Technologies to Test Perpetual Access to Digital Content

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:41:23 GMT

How long is long enough for our collective national digital heritage to be available and accessible? The Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) and DuraSpace have announced that they will launch a one-year pilot program to test the use of cloud technologies to enable perpetual access to digital content. The pilot will focus on a new cloud-based service, DuraCloud, developed and hosted by the DuraSpace organization. Among the NDIIPP partners participating in the DuraCloud pilot program are the New York Public Library and the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Library of Congress Celebrates Opening of Modules 3 and 4 and Cold-Storage Rooms at Ft. Meade Facility

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:33:23 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony today with acting Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers, celebrated the completion of Modules 3 and 4 and four cold-storage rooms at the Library’s Ft. Meade high-density storage facility in Maryland.

Now in Session: The Library of Congress on iTunes U

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:59:59 GMT

In an ongoing effort to make its digital educational, historical and cultural resources available to web users across a broad spectrum of platforms, the Library of Congress today launched "The Library of Congress on iTunes U."

Cataloging Bulletin Free Online

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:07:36 GMT

The Library of Congress is making available to the worldwide library community free online access to the entire 31 years of the Cataloging Service Bulletin (CSB).

Nabokov Papers Opened for Research

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:35:58 GMT

The papers of Russian poet and novelist Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (1899-1977) are now open to researchers in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division. The collection is of major value to Nabokov scholars as well as to specialists in the areas of Russian and American literary history and translation.

NLS Announces Awards

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:41:59 GMT

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) at the Library of Congress today presented awards to the Perkins Library for the Blind of Watertown, Mass., and to the Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Talking Books Library Service of Florida.

Swann Fellowships Announced

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:04:48 GMT

The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, announces fellowship awards to three applicants for the academic year 2009-2010: Yasemin Gencer, Amanda Lahikainen and Jason E. Hill.

Marie Arana at Kluge Center

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:26:25 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named Marie Arana a distinguished visiting scholar at the John W. Kluge Center, where she is pursuing research on Simón Bolívar, the famed liberator of Latin America from Spain.

Millionth Page Posted in Chronicling America

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:10:51 GMT

The Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities today marked a major milestone in their partnership to digitize historic U.S. newspapers and make them widely available to the public on the Internet. During an event held at the Newseum, Deanna Marcum, Associate Librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress, announced that the Chronicling America website (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/)—a free, national, searchable database of historic American newspaper pages published between 1880 and 1922—recently posted its millionth page.

Sotomayor is Subject of New Web Presentation

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:33:16 GMT

To serve congressional and public requests for resources pertaining to this historic nomination, the Law Library of Congress has developed a web presentation on Sotomayor on its Supreme Court Nominations site at www.loc.gov/law/find/court-nominations.php.

Center for the Book Establishes U.S. Virgin Islands Affiliate

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:06:02 GMT

The Library of Congress and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands have announced the creation of the Virgin Islands Center for the Book, the first center affiliate in the United States territories. Gov. John P. deJongh Jr. and Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole made the announcement during a National Library Week reception at the Government House in St. Croix.

Preservation Funding Guide

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:51:18 GMT

The Library of Congress and the Foundation Center, building on a partnership established two years ago, have released the second edition of a web-based fundraising guide to help preservationists save millions of at-risk historical and cultural artifacts.

Seventh Annual Recording Registry Announced

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:50:29 GMT

The unforgettable lyrics of a Broadway and movie classic, the historic recital of one of the nation’s greatest contraltos, and the speech that warned of "an iron curtain" descending across the continent have made the list of recordings that have been identified as cultural, artistic and historical treasures to be preserved for future generations. Today, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington named the 25 new additions to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress as part of its efforts to ensure that the nation’s aural history is not lost or forgotten.

U.S. Copyright Office Adjusts Fees

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:44:46 GMT

The U.S. Copyright Office in the Library of Congress is amending its fees for copyright services. Thanks to cost-savings achieved through increased office automation, some fees will remain the same or decrease. Other fees—mostly for services requiring manual labor—will rise.

Library Appoints Junior Fellows Summer Interns

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:43:58 GMT

For the fifth year, college students from across the country will participate in the Library’s Junior Fellows Summer Internship. Working under the direction of Library specialists in various divisions, they will explore and increase access to the institution’s unparalleled collections and resources.

VHP Spotlights Disabled Vets in Web Presentation

Wed, 27 May 2009 13:15:00 GMT

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), a program of the American Folklife Center, spotlights stories of disabled veterans in "The Unhealed Wounds," a special web presentation accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/. The presentation covers veterans of four wars whose afflictions range from amputated limbs to severe facial trauma to diagnosed cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

National Union Catalog Celebrates 50

Mon, 18 May 2009 13:02:27 GMT

The National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC), a cooperative cataloging program of the Library of Congress and eligible archival and manuscript repositories located throughout the United States and its territories, celebrates its 50th anniversary in May 2009.

Library of Congress Acquires ASCAP Collection

Fri, 08 May 2009 16:32:29 GMT

The Music Division in the Library of Congress has acquired archival materials from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publisher (ASCAP) Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of the world's largest performing-rights organization, representing more than 275,000 creators.

GLIN Garners Excellence in Government Award

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:26:02 GMT

The Global Legal Information Network (GLIN), a database administered by the Law Library of Congress, was among the "Top Five" projects to receive a 2009 excellence in government award from the Industry Advisory Council (IAC). GLIN was recognized for "excellence in transparency" (openness and accountability).

Letters About Literature Reading-Promotion Program Winners Announced

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:52:29 GMT

Letters About Literature, a program that asks young people in grades 4 through 12 to write to an author (living or dead) about how his or her book affected their lives, has announced its 2009 winners.

Library, UNESCO and Partners Launch World Digital Library

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:40:58 GMT

The Library of Congress, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and 32 partner institutions today launched the World Digital Library, a website that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives from around the world.

Kay Ryan Serves Second Term

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:22:34 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Kay Ryan to serve a second term as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry.

World Digital Library Launch Slated

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:51:51 GMT

The Library of Congress, UNESCO and 32 partner institutions on April 21 will launch the World Digital Library, a website that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives from around the world.

Library Report Examines Digital Copyright of Unpublished Recordings

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:59:58 GMT

The Library announced today the completion of a commissioned report that examines copyright issues associated with unpublished sound recordings. This new report from the Library of Congress and the Council on Library and Information Resources addresses the question of what libraries and archives are legally empowered to do, under current laws, to preserve and make accessible for research their holdings of unpublished sound recordings made before 1972.

Library of Congress in New Media Initiatives

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:33:04 GMT

The Library of Congress will begin sharing content from its vast video and audio collections on the YouTube and Apple iTunes web services as part of a continuing initiative to make its incomparable treasures more widely accessible to a broad audience. The new Library of Congress channels on each of the popular services will launch within the next few weeks.

John Hope Franklin, 1915-2009

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:13:53 GMT

Civil rights historian and Kluge Prize recipient John Hope Franklin has died.

Archie Green, 1917-2009

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:15:53 GMT

Archie Green, prominent scholar of labor-related folklore and champion of the American Folklife Center, has died.

"World War II: 365 Days" Is Published

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:09:36 GMT

"Dec. 7, 1941," President Franklin Delano Roosevelt told Congress and the nation, was "a date which will live in infamy." The phrase has become shorthand for Japan's attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, which triggered the nation's involvement in World War II. That date -- and many others in the World War II era -- are featured in a new book titled "World War II: 365 Days" by Margaret E. Wagner, which has been published by Harry N. Abrams Inc. in association with the Library of Congress.

Library Acquires Abstract Prints

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:25:07 GMT

The Library of Congress has acquired an exceptional collection of American Abstract Expressionist prints from the 1940s to 1960s, now available through the Library’s Prints and Photographs Division.

Florence Tan Moeson Fellows Appointed

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:59:03 GMT

The Library has announced the recipients of the 2009 Florence Tan Moeson Fellowship. Under this program, seven scholars will have the opportunity to conduct research using the Library’s Asian collections.

Nominations Sought for Scholar to Deliver Kellogg Lecture

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:37:14 GMT

The Library of Congress seeks nominations for scholar to give the inaugural lecture for the Frederic R. and Molly S. Kellogg Biennial Lecture on International Jurisprudence at the Library of Congress. The lecture, to be held at the Library of Congress, is planned for Oct. 30, 2009.

Chair of Modern Culture Named

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:12:11 GMT

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney, an anthropology professor at the University of Wisconsin, to the John W. Kluge Center’s Chair of Modern Culture.

Stevie Wonder To Premiere Commissioned Work at Library of Congress Feb. 23

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:21:17 GMT

Singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder, the awardee of the second Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, will premiere a special musical work he has written on commission for the Library of Congress on Monday, Feb. 23.

Library Offers Junior Fellows Summer Internships

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:01:59 GMT

This summer the Library of Congress, home of the U.S. Copyright Office, is once again offering special 10-week, paid internships to college students.

President Obama Gives Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to Stevie Wonder Feb. 25

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:48:07 GMT

President Barack Obama will give the Second Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to Stevie Wonder on Feb. 25 at a special concert in the East Room of the White House. The program will air on PBS stations nationwide on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009, at 8 p.m. ET.

Veterans Project Recounts Drama of Helicopters, Crews

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:46:43 GMT

For nearly 60 years, helicopters have played an increasingly important role in American combat operations. The Library of Congress Veterans History Project spotlights stories of skill and heroism in "Helicopters: The Multi-Mission Aircraft," a special Web presentation.

Interpretive Programs Officer Appointed

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:31:51 GMT

William "Jake"Jacobs has been appointed chief of the Interpretive Programs Office (Interpretive Programs Officer).

2009 Witter Bynner Fellows

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:43:17 GMT

Poet Laureate Kay Ryan has chosen two gifted voices in poetry, Christina Davis and Mary Szybist, for the 2009 Witter Bynner Fellowships, and will introduce the poets on Feb. 26 at the Library of Congress.

Jeffrey Alexander To Kluge Center

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named Jeffrey C. Alexander, the Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology at Yale University, as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Library’s John W. Kluge Center.

Book on Slavery, Civil War, Aimed at Young People

"Traveling the Freedom Road: From Slavery and the Civil War Through Reconstruction" by Linda B. Osborne has been published by the Library of Congress and Harry N. Abrams Inc. The book draws on interviews in the Library of Congress collections with former slaves to convey the aspirations, sorrows, courage and hopes of ordinary people living through this period.

Library Commissions Bibliographic Study

The Library of Congress today announced the next phase of its investigation into the creation and distribution of bibliographic data in U.S. and Canadian libraries. The Library has commissioned a study to research and describe the current marketplace for cataloging records in the MARC format, with primary focus on the economics of current practices, including existing incentives and barriers to both contribution and availability.

Library Receives Grant For Map Cataloging

The Library of Congress has received a Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) to support a project that will catalog 125,000 sheet maps of Africa.

25,000th Digitized Book

The Library of Congress will digitally scan "The Heroic Life of Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator" as the 25,000th book in its "Digitizing American Imprints" program, which scans aging "brittle" books often too fragile to serve to researchers.

New Lincoln Book Is Published

From more than 2,000 pieces in its Lincoln document collection, the Library of Congress has selected 40 manuscripts to feature in a new book titled "In Lincoln’s Hand: His Original Manuscripts With Commentary by Distinguished Americans."

Guide on Presidential Food

Alison Kelly, a reference librarian in the Science, Technology and Business Division (ST&B) at the Library of Congress, has compiled "Presidential Food: Selected Resource Guide" for reporters, culinary historians and the interested public to use during the inauguration and early days of the new presidency.

Book of Library Photographs Reprinted

"Library: The Drama Within," with photographs by Diane Asséo Griliches and a new introduction by John Y. Cole, the director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, has just been reprinted in an edition published by Bunker Hill Publishing.

25 Films Named to National Film Registry

ibrarian of Congress James H. Billington today named 25 important motion pictures--classics and genres from every era of American filmmaking--to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, including "The Asphalt Jungle," "Deliverance," "A Face in the Crowd," "The Invisible Man," "Sergeant York" and "The Terminator."

President-Elect Obama To Take Oath of Office on Lincoln-Inaugural Bible from Library of Congress

President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 20, 2009, will take the oath of office on a Bible from the Library of Congressâ collections that is steeped in history â the same Bible upon which Abraham Lincoln swore March 4, 1861, to uphold the Constitution.

Sermons and Orations Relating to 2009 Presidential Inauguration Sought

On Jan. 20, 2009, the United States will inaugurate Barack Obama, the country’s first African-American president. In anticipation of citizens’ efforts to mark this historic time around the country, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress will be collecting audio and video recordings of sermons and orations that comment on the significance of the inauguration of 2009.

Pallante New Associate Register of Copyrights

Register of Copyrights Marybeth Peters has named Maria A. Pallante to the position of Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs, effective December 21, 2008. Pallante brings extensive experience to the position, having worked as a copyright lawyer for more than 18 years in Washington, D.C. and New York City, in both the public and private sectors. She succeeds David O. Carson, who will return to his former position as general counsel of the office.

Library Announces Holiday Hours

The following is the holiday operational schedule, including closures, for the public for the Library of Congress through January 2009.

2008 Kluge Prize Recipients Named

Peter Robert Lamont Brown and Romila Thapar will receive the 2008 Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Study of Humanity in a ceremony Dec. 10 at the Library of Congress. They are the sixth and seventh recipients since the Prizeâs 2003 inception.

GLIN Database Offers New Features

A new version of the Web-accessible Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) was released on Nov. 24, 2008, offering users three new features.

2008 Kluge Prize Recipients Named

Poet and Poem 2009 Series

U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan and 30 other noted poets will be featured in the 2009 season of "The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress." The radio series is available to all public radio stations via the Public Radio Satellite System’s ContentDepot.

Library Adds New Features for Visitors, Extends Hours

Beginning Dec. 11, a series of innovative features at the Library of Congress will greet visitors, seamlessly integrating the onsite experience in the Thomas Jefferson Building with the Library’s online experience, all part of the new "Library of Congress Experience," which launched this past spring.

Library of Congress, National Library of China Sign World Digital Library Agreement

The Library of Congress and the National Library of China have concluded an agreement to cooperate in developing the World Digital Library.

Library Merges Acquisition, Cataloging Functions

As result of the latest reorganization at the Library of Congress, a book acquired as a copyright deposit, purchase, gift or an exchange will go to one division instead of several for centralized processing—the ordering, cataloging, shelflisting, barcoding and other activities that enable users to find one particular book among more than 23.3 million unique titles in printed formats (plus another 8.9 million that are duplicate copies) held at the Library.

New Chiefs Named in Library Reorganization

As part of an internal reorganization at the Library of Congress, three new chiefs have been named in newly-created divisions within the Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access (ABA) directorate, according to Beacher Wiggins, director of ABA in Library Services.

Library Receives Howard Ashman Papers

The Music Division of the Library of Congress has acquired the papers of noted stage and film lyricist Howard Ashman. Ashman is best remembered as the lyricist (collaborating with composer Alan Menken) for the stage musical "Little Shop of Horror" and the Disney animated film musicals "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin."

Library's Historic Recordings on NPR

Historic recordings named by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry will be featured in a five-part series on NPR’s "All Things Considered," beginning Sunday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. (EST). This is the third consecutive year that the national radio network has broadcast a series showcasing selections to the registry that were targeted for preservation because they were "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

VHP Spotlights 92nd Infantry Division

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), a program of the American Folklife Center, commemorates Veterans Day on Nov. 11 and National Veterans Awareness Week, Nov. 9-15, with a special Web presentation at www.loc.gov/vets featuring the firsthand recollections of soldiers from the 92nd Infantry Division of World War II.

Letters About Literature Submissions

The postmark entry deadline for Letters About Literature (LAL), a nationwide writing contest that celebrates the relationship between young readers and authors, is Dec. 6. Sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in association with Target, LAL invites students on three competition levels (elementary, middle school and secondary) to write a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her work somehow changed the reader’s view of the world or of himself or herself.

2009 Calendars and Cards Feature Library Collections

Four calendars and three sets of Knowledge Cards featuring the wide-ranging collections of the Library of Congress have been released for 2009.

Science, Technology & Business Chief Appointed

Ronald Bluestone has been appointed chief of the Library’s Science, Technology and Business Division.

VHP Celebrates Veterans Awareness Week

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress American Folklife Center issues a challenge for Americans to interview veterans from their families or communities during National Veterans Awareness Week, Nov. 9-15, and throughout the year. Interview guidelines are available online at www.loc.gov/vets.

Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibit Opens Feb. 12, 2009

"With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition" opens at the Library of Congress on Feb. 12, 2009, in celebration of the 200th birthday of America’s 16th president, offering the public the opportunity to view rarely seen treasures from the Library’s collections.

Library of Congress Announces New Asian Division Chief

Peter R. Young, director of the National Agricultural Library (NAL) since 2002, has been appointed chief of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress Appoints Chief of the Federal Research Division

David Osborne has been appointed chief of the Library’s Federal Research Division (FRD).

Jefferson's Draft Declaration on View for Nine More Days

After being on display since last April, a major treasure of the Library of Congress—Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence, with edits by his fellow founding fathers John Adams and Benjamin Franklin—will be taken off display in the Library’s "Creating the United States" Exhibition in the Thomas Jefferson Building after Oct. 29, 2008 in accordance with document-preservation guidelines. It is not expected to return to public display for several years.

Teachers Tapped for National Panel

The Library of Congress has assembled a group of teachers and experts from all areas of the country and grade levels in an effort to develop a new professional-development curriculum for K-12 educators. The Library's Educational Outreach division convened the first meeting of this national review committee in October in Washington, D.C.

"National Treasures, Local Treasures" Travels to Denver

"National Treasures, Local Treasures: The Library of Congress at Your Fingertips," an educational program that brings the riches of the Library to selected cities across the country, will make its second stop at the Denver Central Library on Monday, Oct. 27, from 6-8 p.m. The library is located at 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway.

Swann Fellowship Applications

The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship for the 2009-2010 academic year. Applications are due by close of business on Friday, Feb. 13, 2009, and notification will occur in the spring.

Federal Agencies Collaborate on Guidelines for Digitization

The Library of Congress is among a dozen federal agencies launching an initiative to establish a common set of guidelines for digitizing historical materials. Basing its efforts on a combination of collaborative research and combined experience, the Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative will address a variety of issues related to the complex activities involved in the digitization of cultural heritage items.

Two working groups have been formed, one addressing content that can be captured in still images, the other involved with content categorizing sound, video, or motion-picture film. The initiative includes a just-launched Web site, www.digitizationguidelines.gov.

Architect Eero Saarinen Subject of New Book

Published by the Library of Congress and W.W. Norton & Company, "Eero Saarinen: Buildings from the Balthazar Korab Archive," edited by David G. De Long and C. Ford Peatross, illustrates 19 of Saarinen’s commissioned designs in nearly 800 photographs drawn from Korab’s archive.

Center for the Book, Read It LOUD! Form Partnership

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the Read It LOUD! Foundation have formed a partnership to encourage parents and other caregivers to read to their children daily. The goal of the partnership is to inspire 5 million parents and caregivers to read daily to their children by 2014.

Library Seeks Nominations for National Recording Registry

The Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, is seeking nominations once again from the public of recordings that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" for this year’s consideration. The recordings must be at least 10 years old. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 31.

Andre Kostelanetz Papers Donated to Library of Congress

Papers of conductor and arranger André Kostelanetz are being donated to the Library of Congress by the musician’s estate, marking a significant expansion of the collection Kostelanetz provided to the Library during his lifetime. Kostelanetz, who died in 1980, was a major figure in U.S. popular music and on radio for half a century.

Hundreds of Volunteers Support Book Festival

The 2008 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by First Lady Laura Bush, will be supported by the volunteer efforts of hundreds of Junior League of Washington members as an estimated 120,000 book-lovers flock to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27. The festival, which is free and open to the public, will be held on the Mall between 3rd and 7th streets, rain or shine.

Library of Congress Buildings Subject of New Publication

"On These Walls: Inscriptions and Quotations of the Library of Congress," by John Y. Cole, has just been republished in a revised edition with more than 100 full-color illustrations by noted photographer Carol M. Highsmith.

Library Announces New Chief of the NAVCC Packard Campus

The Library of Congress has appointed Patrick Loughney as the chief of the Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, in Culpeper, Va. Loughney will oversee the state-of-the-art facility where the Library of Congress acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of movies, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings.

"Fields of Vision" Features 20th-Century Photographers

Selected images from the works of FSA-OWI photographers Russell Lee (1903-1987), Ben Shahn (1898-1969) and Marion Post Wolcott (1910-1990) are now featured in the first of three volumes in a new Library of Congress series titled "Fields of Vision." Edited by Amy Pastan, an independent editor formerly with the National Gallery of Art, each volume in the series includes an introduction to the work of the featured FSA photographer by a leading contemporary author or writer.

"National Treasures, Local Treasures" Makes First Stop At Broward County Library

"National Treasures, Local Treasures: The Library of Congress at Your Fingertips," an educational program that brings the riches of the Library to selected cities across the country, will make its debut at the Broward County Public Library on Friday, Sept. 19, at 10:30 a.m. The Main Library is at 100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Laura, Jenna Bush At National Book Festival

First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter, Jenna Bush, co-authors of the book "Read All About It!" will join the authors and special guests presenting at the 2008 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and Mrs. Bush. The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, rain or shine, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 3rd and 7th streets. The festival is free and open to the public.

VHP Honors Hispanic Americans

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), a program of the American Folklife Center, will commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) with a special Web presentation profiling American veterans of Hispanic descent. Twelve fully digitized collections have been added to the "Experiencing War" Web series. Learn more at www.loc.gov/vets/.

Stevie Wonder Receives Library of Congress Gershwin Prize

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today named singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder—who burst on the scene in the early 1960s as a musical prodigy, and whose dance hits and love songs segued over the years into thoughtful commentaries on the joy and injustice in our world—as the recipient of the Second Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The award presentation will take place in the Great Hall of the Library on Feb. 23, 2009.

"Learning From Katrina" Web Page

Today marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. In commemoration, and in light of the current hurricane season, the Library of Congress announces a Web site titled "Learning from Katrina," which provides insights for better responses to record and artifact damage by hurricanes.

Book of Secrets on Display

Shortly following the release of "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," millions of moviegoers might have left theaters around the world believing that the Library of Congress, the world’s largest library, was home to a book that holds all of the U.S. presidents’ secrets from alien autopsies to the truth about the JFK assassination, as well as the location of buried treasure. That was fiction, but the real story and the "reel" story merge a little when the "Book of Secrets" movie prop and a bonus feature about the Library and its formidable collections went on display this summer in the South Orientation Gallery on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Visitors to the Jefferson will have an opportunity to see the display through Sept. 27.

Library Partnership Preserves End-of-Term Government Web Sites

The Library of Congress, the California Digital Library, the University of North Texas Libraries, the Internet Archive and the U.S. Government Printing Office today announced a collaborative project to preserve public United States Government web sites at the end of the current presidential administration ending January 19, 2009. This harvest is intended to document federal agencies' online archive during the transition of government and to enhance the existing collections of the five partner institutions.

Library of Congress Launches "E-Giving" Site For Donations

While the Library of Congress relies upon congressional appropriations to carry out its missions, much of its work also depends on the generosity of the private sector: individuals, corporations and foundations.

It is now much easier to support the de facto national library through financial donations with the launch of the Library’s new "e-Giving" Web site at www.loc.gov/donate/.

Library of Congress Seeks Volunteer Docents

Each year the Library of Congress receives more than 1 million visitors eager to view the magnificent Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., and to learn about the treasures it contains. In April 2008, the Library inaugurated its new Library of Congress Experience featuring three new exhibitions and interactive displays for visitors. In December 2008, the tunnel from the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center to the Library will open. These developments are expected to bring even more visitors to the Library.

To address this growth, beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 2, the Library's Visitor Services Office is offering a 16 week training program for volunteer docents who will gain the skills necessary to lead tours of the Library's historic Thomas Jefferson building.

VHP Commemorates Armed Forces Integration

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), a program of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, is commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic integration of the United States armed forces on July 26.

Kay Ryan Named Poet Laureate

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today announced the appointment of Kay Ryan as the Library’s 16th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2008-2009.

Library, NARA Form World Digital Library Partnership

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein announced today that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will became a founding partner in the World Digital Library (WDL).

Copyright Office Releases Section 109 Report

After more than a year of intensive study, the U.S. Copyright Office issued its report on whether to maintain, modify or eliminate Sections 111, 119 and 122 of the Copyright Act. It will serve as the basis for discussion for possible changes to the statutory licenses.

Swann Awards for 2008-2009

The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, announces the awarding of academic grants to five applicants for the 2008-2009 Swann Fellowship: Marie-Stéphanie Delamaire, Mazie Harris, Jared Richman, Christina Smylitopoulos and Veronica White.

Law Library of Congress Brochure Wins Award

The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) has named the Law Library of Congress the winner of the 2008 AALL/Thomson West Excellence in Marketing Award in the Best Brochure category.

Copyright Office Launches New Technology

Handling about 550,000 copyright claims annually, the U.S. Copyright Office in the Library of Congress is making it much easier for the public to register and protect its collective creativity. On July 1, the Copyright Office will enter the next phase in the implementation of its multi-year business process re-engineering effort to modernize operations from a paper-based to a Web-based processing environment.

Library Hires Preservation Research Scientists

To meet the challenges of preserving traditional and new media, the Library of Congress has hired four preservation research scientists as part of a multi-faceted preservation research initiative. Housed in the Preservation Research and Testing Division of the Library’s Preservation Directorate, the initiative will include the opening later this year of two "green" energy-efficient laboratories—a chemical and mechanical properties laboratory and an optical properties laboratory. The initiative will also include a new center to safeguard and make accessible the Library’s rare and valuable preservation science reference collection.

Library Appoints 50 Junior Fellows Summer Interns

This summer, 50 college students from across the country will reprise the annual "treasure hunt" as participants in the Library of Congress' 2008 Junior Fellows Summer Internship program.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Named Network Library of Year

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (Carnegie LBPH) has been named the 2007 Network Library of the Year by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) in the Library of Congress.

Letters About Literature Winners Announced

One hundred fifty young readers across the country were honored with state and national awards for their achievements in this year’s Letters About Literature (LAL) writing contest, sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

Three State Centers for the Book Recognized For Innovative Reading-Promotion Efforts

Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole has announced that affiliated state centers for the book from Kansas, Ohio and Rhode Island are the 2008 winners of the Boorstin Award for innovative reading-promotion efforts.

VHP Observes Memorial Day 2008

he Veterans History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center plans several activities and events for Memorial Day 2008, including the Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. in support of the White House Commission on Remembrance.

"Public Markets" is Published

Published by the Library of Congress and W.W. Norton & Company, "Public Markets" by Helen Tangires is a richly illustrated compendium of the wide variety of architectural structures devoted to the urban marketplace. Designers, urban planners and those intrigued by the intersection of history, commerce and architecture will find "Public Markets" to be a singular resource on the subject.

2007 National Recording Registry Announced

What our president said to the nation, what the nation said to the universe, and a cornucopia of musical milestones highlight the major themes of the 2007 National Recording Registry. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today named 25 additions to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress as part of its efforts to preserve the nation’s aural history.

Library Receives Charles Strouse's Papers

Celebrated American composer Charles Strouse presented his papers to the Library of Congress in a private ceremony today. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington formally accepted the gift on behalf of the Library and the American people and honored Strouse, perhaps best known for such musical-theater smashes as "Annie," "Bye Bye Birdie," "Applause" and "Golden Boy."

VHP Spotlights Stories of Jewish American Vets of WWII

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), a program of the American Folklife Center, commemorates Jewish American Heritage Month with a special series of 10 first-hand stories of Jewish Veterans of World War II. The web presentation is available at www.jewishheritage.gov/.

Veterans History Project Commemorates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project, a program of the American Folklife Center, features the first-hand recollections of eight war veterans in "Going for Broke," a Web feature that commemorates Asian Pacific American Heritage month. The presentation can be found online at www.loc.gov/topics/asianpacific/.

Library Receives Original Spider-Man Story

In a deed of superheroic proportions, an anonymous donor has given the Library of Congress the original artwork by Steve Ditko for Marvel Comics' "Amazing Fantasy #15" -- the comic book that introduced Spider-Man in August 1962.

Library Opens Main Reading Room to 16-Year-Old Researchers

The Library of Congress today announced that the minimum age for use of the Main Reading Room to access the Library’s physical collections for research purposes has been lowered to 16. The previous requirement was that researchers be above high school age.

American Choral Music Web Site Launched

In collaboration with the American Choral Directors Association, the Library of Congress Music Division has launched a Web site as part of its online Performing Arts Encyclopedia, called "American Choral Music, 1870-1923." The site is available at http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/choralmusic/.

Winners of 2008 Bobbitt Poetry Prize

The distinguished Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, created 20 years ago, will be awarded to two poets who teach at universities in Virginia: Bob Hicok of Virginia Tech and Charles Wright of the University of Virginia.

Library and Kaust in Digital Partnership

The Library of Congress and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) today announced a partnership in the history of science in the Arab and Islamic worlds. The Library and KAUST will jointly convene an international advisory committee of leading scholars and curators to map out a strategy for identifying, selecting, digitizing, cataloging, annotating, and promoting scholarly research about manuscripts and other rare and unique materials relating to science in the Arab and Islamic worlds, and for including these materials in the World Digital Library (WDL) and other digital library projects.

Library of Congress, History Channel Partnership

The Library of Congress and History™ have joined forces to create a multimedia partnership to showcase the Library’s collections to the vast audience of the History brands including the History channel, history.com and other television properties. The partnership will also bring historical content to more than 200,000 teachers across the country that use the channel’s branded educational materials in their classrooms.

Seven Living Legends Chosen, Library Experience Opens

The Library of Congress will honor seven new "Living Legends" as part of its public celebration on Saturday, April 12, at the Thomas Jefferson Building (10 First St. SE, Washington, D.C., 20540). The ceremony will help mark the opening of the "Library of Congress Experience," which offers visitors the opportunity to explore rare historical and cultural treasures through interactive technology and a companion Web site. Detailed information on the Experience can be found at www.loc.gov/experience/.

Library of Congress Experience Sneak Preview

Check out the Library of Congress Blog for a preview video, also posted on YouTube, of the new Library of Congress Experience.

Study Group Issues Report Recommending Changes in Copyright Law to Reflect Digital Technologies

After nearly three years of intensive work, the independent Section 108 Study Group has issued its report and recommendations on exceptions to copyright law to address how libraries, archives and museums deal with copyrighted materials in fulfilling their missions in the digital environment. The report is available at www.section108.gov. Section 108 is the section of the Copyright Act that provides limited exceptions for libraries and archives so that they may make copies to replace copyrighted works in their collections when necessary, preserve them for the long term and make them available to users.

Karamah Joins the Global Legal Information Network

Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, has become an associate member of the Global Legal Information Network (GLIN), a cooperative international legal database administered by the Law Library of Congress.

Library Launches Historic Baseball Resources Site

America’s Library salutes America’s favorite pastime with the launch of a new resource page: www.loc.gov/topics/baseball/. Highlighted are select Library resources on the popular sport, including player profiles, historical news and events, collection guides and presentations and more.

Thomas Jefferson Building Special Closures April 3 - 11

The Great Hall, exhibitions and Sales Shop in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress will be closed from Thursday, April 3 through Friday, April 11 in preparation for the opening of a new Library of Congress Experience for visitors. Ceremonies to celebrate the debut of the new Library of Congress Experience will begin at 11 a.m. on April 12. The Great Hall and exhibitions will reopen after the noon ribbon cutting.

Library of Congress, Bantam Books Honor Louis L'Amour

Louis L’Amour, one of the most prolific and bestselling writers of all time, has been honored by the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress as its inaugural "Champion of the Book"—a unique designation reserved for those who have made an important contribution to the world of books.

Koussevitzky Foundation Awards Seven Commissions

The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress and the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, Inc., have awarded commissions for new musical works to seven composers. The foundations and the performing organizations that will present the newly composed works are jointly granting the commissions.

"Library of Congress Experience" Debuts April 12

The Library of Congress–the largest library in the world and the oldest U.S. federal cultural institution–on Saturday, April 12, debuts an immersive, new "Library of Congress Experience," offering visitors unique historical and cultural treasures brought to life through cutting-edge interactive technology and a companion Web site.

Library of Congress To Offer Junior Fellows Summer Internships

This summer the Library of Congress, home of the U.S. Copyright Office, is once again offering special 10-week, paid internships to college students. For a stipend of $3,000, Junior Fellows Summer Interns will work full-time, starting on June 2 and ending on Aug. 8, to help locate and itemize uncataloged materials submitted to the office as part of the copyright registration process. In the past, summer interns have identified hundreds of literary, artistic, film and musical gems among the Library’s copyright deposits and gift collections.

Digital Preservation Program Launches Newsletter

A monthly online newsletter highlighting the important work that the Library of Congress’s digital preservation program is performing to collect and preserve the nation’s heritage in digital form will launch in March.

1507 World Map is Subject of New Book

More than 500 years after its creation, Martin Waldseemüller’s 1507 World Map—the first map to display the name "America"—continues to fascinate cartographers, historians and those interested in the nation’s founding and the mapping of the globe. Acquired by the Library of Congress in 2003 and currently on display in the Thomas Jefferson Building in a sealed, oxygen-free encasement, the map is the subject of a new book, "The Naming of America" by John W. Hessler.

Library Communications System For Deaf Staff

The Library of Congress has become one of the first federal agencies to implement an agency-wide "videophone" system that enables its deaf staff members who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with both hearing and deaf individuals. Using the videophones, deaf staff members can place Video Relay Service (VRS) calls, which are "relayed" through an ASL interpreter at a call center, to hearing individuals. Likewise, using the videophones, deaf individuals can place point-to-point calls with other deaf people who use ASL.

New Email Alerts and RSS Feeds

The Library has added new email alert services and RSS feeds in the following areas: Hours of Operation, Folklife (including News, Events, and Newsletter from the American Folklife Center), Legal Issues (including News, Research, Webcasts, and Global Legal Monitor from the Law Library), and news from Chronicling America, the Historic American Newspaper project.

LOC and IMLS Preservation Outreach

The Preservation Directorate of the Library of Congress has announced that Karen Motylewski from IMLS will serve a one-year detail at the Library as special projects liaison. She will help both agencies advance shared goals for preservation and conservation awareness and action throughout the nation. She will assist the Library in meetings, in training sessions and in developing emergency plans.

Library Receives Book From Window of China Project

The Library of Congress has begun to receive donated books from the National Library of China through the Window of China Project. Founded in 2006, the Window of China Project donates books to national libraries and other institutions around the world.

James Forman Papers Donated to the Library

At a ceremony held today at the Library of Congress, the papers of civil-rights activist James Forman were given to the Library by Forman’s sons James Jr. and Chaka. Their mother, Constancia Romilly, also attended the event.

W.R. Smyser To Kissinger Chair

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed W. R. Smyser, adjunct professor in the BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University, as the Henry Alfred Kissinger Scholar in Foreign Policy and International Relations in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress-Flickr Pilot Project

Out of some 14 million prints, photographs and other visual materials at the Library of Congress, more than 3,000 photos from two of the institution's most popular collections are being made available on Flickr, a popular photo-sharing site, to include only images for which no copyright restrictions are known to exist.

Three Images of the Crowd at Lincoln's Second Inauguration Discovered at Library of Congress

Details of Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration come into clearer focus with the recent discovery at the Library of Congress of three glass negatives that show the large crowd gathered at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., for the president's address on March 4, 1865.

Library of Congress and Foundation Center Create New Funding Guide for Preserving Historical, Cultural Collections

The Library of Congress and the Foundation Center, in a joint partnership, have recently compiled a new Web-based fundraising guide to help the preservation community save the nation’s millions of at-risk artifacts for future generations.

Library of Congress, Microsoft Announce Agreement to Support New Interactive Experience for Visitors

The Library of Congress and Microsoft Corp. have signed a cooperative agreement that will change the way Library visitors experience history. The joint technology initiative will electronically deliver the Library’s immense collection of historical artifacts to patrons visiting its Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., and will allow unparalleled and immersive interactive experiences that will bring the institution’s vast historical collections and exhibits to life–on-site and online–through the upcoming myloc.gov Web site.

Center for the Book Receives Raven Award From Mystery Writers of America

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) has announced that the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is one of two recipients of its 2008 Raven Award, which honors outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing.

Library of Congress Seeks Nominations for the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Poetry Prize

The Library of Congress is accepting nominations from publishers for the $10,000 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry. The prize will be awarded in April, which is National Poetry Month.

Digital Preservation Program Adds New Partners To Preserve State Government Digital Information

Twenty-one states, working in four multistate demonstration projects, are today joining the Library of Congress’s National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) in an initiative to catalyze collaborative efforts to preserve important state government information in digital form.

Jon Scieszka Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed children’s book author Jon Scieszka as the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. The position was created to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.

Librarian of Congress Announces National Film Registry Selections for 2007

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today named 25 motion pictures— classics from every era of American filmmaking—to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, including "Bullitt," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," Grand Hotel," "Oklahoma!" and "12 Angry Men."

Poet Laureate Charles Simic and Other Noted Poets to be Featured in "The Poet and the Poem" Radio Series

U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic and 19 other noted poets will be featured in the winter 2008 season of "The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress." The radio series is available to all public radio stations through Public Radio Satellite Service via National Public Radio distribution.

Library of Congress Publishes Catalog of Items From the Jay I. Kislak Collection of the Early Americas

"Collecting, for me, has always been an adventure, a journey of exploration … Over the years, the path of collecting has led me through wonderful passageways into history and cultures."

So explains Jay I. Kislak in his introductory note to "The Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress," a broad introduction to Kislak’s gift to the Library. In 10 richly illustrated chapters, this book examines in detail more than 900 items from the collection that show the extensive range of the collector’s vision.

Images of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building Added to the Carol M. Highsmith Archive

Distinguished architectural photographer Carol M. Highsmith, who began donating her work to the Prints and Photographs Division at the Library of Congress in 1992, has turned her lens on the Library itself.

In more than 400 color digital images, Highsmith has captured both the artistry and symbolism of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, from the floor of the Great Hall to the dome of the Main Reading Room. These images and others can be found online at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/highsmhtml/highsmabt.html.

Library of Congress Makes Grant To Southeastern Louisiana University To Foster Instructional Use of Digital Materials

The Library of Congress today made a grant to Southeastern Louisiana University to join a program designed to encourage the educational use of the Library’s vast collections of online primary source materials.

Working Group on Bibliographic Control Releases Draft Report

The Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control has released its draft report on the future of bibliographic description in light of advances in search engine technology, the popularity of the Internet and the influx of electronic information resources.

Library of Congress, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and OCLC Enhance VIAF Project

The Library of Congress, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and OCLC have signed a memorandum of understanding to extend and enhance the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF), a project that virtually combines multiple name authority files into a single name authority service.

Martha Anderson Named Director of Program Management for Digital Preservation Program

Martha Anderson was today named director of program management for the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP).

House Passes Bipartisan Resolution to Establish "National Veterans History Project Week"

U.S. Representative Jon Porter (R-NV) has announced that the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution 770, a bipartisan resolution designating the week of November 11 through November 17, 2007 as "National Veterans History Project Week." The special observance mobilizes America to record the oral history of its wartime veterans. Co-sponsors of the resolution include U. S. Representative Ron Kind (D-WI), original sponsor of the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, and 23 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Veterans History Project Spotlights WWII Stories from China-Burma-India

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project, a program of the American Folklife Center, will feature a special series of narratives from World War II’s China-Burma-India Theater via the project’s Web site www.loc.gov/vets/.

John Philip Sousa, "The March King," Subject of New Web Site

o commemorate the birthday of world-renowned bandleader and composer John Philip Sousa on Nov. 6, 1854, a new Web site dedicated to the composer of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is now available from the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov/lcp.

Silent Movies Are Subject of New Library Publication

n his new book, "Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture," Peter Kobel has created the definitive visual history of silent film. Published this month by the Library of Congress in association with Little, Brown & Co., this richly illustrated work draws on the Library’s extraordinary collection of posters, paper prints, film stills and memorabilia—most of which has never been in print. More than 400 images capture the birth of film and the rise of such icons as Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Clara Bow and Rudolph Valentino.

NLS Director Recognized by Braille Institute of America

Frank Kurt Cylke, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, received the 2006 Golden Cassette Award for Library Partnership from the Los Angeles-based Braille Institute of America Library Services Inc.

Library of Congress Offers Information on Fire Recovery for Collections

In response to the fires in Southern California and the resulting damage to personal and public collections, the Library of Congress has updated its preservation Web page on emergency care.

Library of Congress Collaborates with Xerox To Test Format for Digitally Preserving, Accessing Treasured Images

As part of the Library of Congress’s mission to ensure that America’s history and heritage are available and accessible for generations to come, the Library and Xerox Corporation are working together on a project to develop better ways to store, preserve and access treasured digital images. The collection includes such images as a panorama of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, a photograph of Abraham Lincoln taken four days before he was assassinated and a picture of the Wright brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk.

"Concerts from the Library of Congress" Radio Series To Launch on Nov. 5

Beginning in November, the Library of Congress Music Division, WETA-FM and CD Syndications will be launching a 13-week classical music radio series slated for broadcast nationwide. Bill McGlaughlin, creator and host of the Peabody Award-winning program "Saint Paul Sunday Morning," hosts "Concerts from the Library of Congress," which features excerpts from past performances held in the Library’s historic Coolidge Auditorium.

Library of Congress and UNESCO Sign World Digital Library Agreement

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and UNESCO Assistant Director for Communication and Information Abdul Waheed Khan today signed an agreement at UNESCO headquarters in Paris pledging cooperative efforts to build a World Digital Library Web site.

Library of Congress Partners with British, Canadian and Australian National Libraries on RDA Implementation

Four national libraries have joined forces to implement a new standard for resource description and access designed for the digital environment in which libraries now operate. The Library of Congress, the British Library, Library and Archives Canada, and the National Library of Australia have agreed on a coordinated implementation of "RDA: Resource Description and Access," the successor to the "Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules."

New Guide to Library's Air and Space Collections Is Published

The possibility of flight captured human imagination long before the Montgolfier brothers’ unmanned hot air balloon succeeded in carrying a duck, a rooster and a sheep above the city of Versailles in 1783. Before and after that date, people sketched, painted, photographed, sang about and described in words the ways a human being might fly like a bird. Each time someone achieved an advance in flight, the world took note. The record of these advances is described in "Aeronautical and Astronautical Resources of the Library of Congress: A Comprehensive Guide" by Ronald S. Wilkinson, John F. Buydos and others.

Library of Congress Display of Tibetan Items to Mark Dalai Lama's Receipt of Congressional Medal

The Congressional Gold Medal -- the nation’s highest civilian honor -- will be presented to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet on Oct. 17. In honor of the occasion, the Library of Congress will present "Celebrating Tibet," a special display of Tibetan items.

Library of Congress Receives Collection of Oral Histories from Prominent African Americans

The National Visionary Leadership Project (NVLP) has donated more than 200 original videotaped interviews from prominent African Americans to the Library of Congress. These oral histories, housed in the American Folklife Center, are the seed of what will be an open collection that will grow in the coming years.

Veterans History Project Web Site Enhances Experience of "The War"

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project, a program of the American Folklife Center, has produced a companion Web site for the PBS series "The War," by Ken Burns.

Library of Congress's National Book Festival Attracts More Than 120,000 Book Lovers To the National Mall

Today, more than 120,000 book lovers gathered on the National Mall for the seventh annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by Mrs. Laura Bush. Festival-goers were entertained by their favorite authors, illustrators and poets as they celebrated creativity and imagination among 11 standing-room-only pavilions including Children; Teens & Children; Fiction & Fantasy; Mysteries & Thrillers; History & Biography; Home & Family; and Poetry. For those who were unable to attend the festival or missed a pavilion, the authors’ presentation are available as webcasts on the festival homepage (www.loc.gov/bookfest).

World War II Is Subject of New Library Publication

A unique addition to World War II scholarship, "The Library of Congress World War II Companion," by Margaret E Wagner, Linda Barrett Osborne and Susan Reyburn, has been published in association with Simon & Schuster. Edited and with an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy, this comprehensive, one-volume, fact- and quote-filled resource documents the harrowing years from 1937 through 1945, when totalitarianism threatened to engulf the world.

Center for the Book Announces 2007-2008 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Program

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores, invites readers in grades 4 through 12 to enter its Letters About Literature reading and writing competition for children and young adults. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. Young readers may select authors from any genre—fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic.

Library's Map Treasures Are Highlighted in "Cartographia"

Drawn from the world’s largest cartographic collection, housed in the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress, "Cartographia: Mapping Civilizations," by Vincent Virga, has been published by the Library in association with Little, Brown and Company.

Swann Foundation Accepting Fellowship Applications

The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, is accepting applications for its graduate fellowship for the 2008-2009 academic year. Applications are due by close of business on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, and notification will occur in the spring.

William F. May Appointed to Maguire Chair in American History at the John W. Kluge Center

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed William F. May to the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in American History and Ethics at the John W. Kluge Center for a three-month tenure from September to December.

Statement by the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center

Recent media coverage has portrayed veterans who have donated interviews to the Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress American Folklife Center as having made "fraudulent" claims regarding the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Jefferson Building Special Closures, Sept. 14 and Sept. 28

Public access to the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress will be limited on two dates in September.

Library of Congress Launches New Literacy Campaign, Public Outreach Features on Web Site

As a prelude to its annual National Book Festival in Washington on Sept. 29, the Library of Congress today launched a series of public outreach initiatives designed to promote the joy of reading and to better share the Library's programs and collections with the public.

Eric Hansen Named Chief of Preservation Research and Testing Division

Eric Hansen has been named chief of the Preservation Research and Testing Division at the Library of Congress. He is scheduled to start on Sept. 17.

Library of Congress Partners with WWOZ-FM and Grammy Foundation® To Preserve Legendary Musical Recordings

WWOZ-FM, the legendary community-supported radio station in New Orleans, has gifted the Library of Congress with more than 7,000 hours of live jazz and blues recordings spanning 15 years. The contribution, which comes after Hurricane Katrinaâs floodwaters nearly destroyed the stationâs primary tape storage facility, will ensure the safety of the stationâs collection of historic recordings. In support of this remarkable gift, the GRAMMY FoundationÂ® has awarded WWOZ $45,000 in grants toward the preservation of the collection.

Library of Congress Seeks Volunteer Docents

Each year the Library of Congress receives more than 1 million visitors eager to view the magnificent Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., and to learn about the treasures it contains. Led by staff and a cadre of volunteer docents, the number of tours is expected to increase when the Library debuts its new interactive experience for visitors in April 2008 and the tunnel from the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center to the Library is later completed.

"West Side Story: Birth of a Classic" Opens on Sept. 26

Fifty years ago, on September 26, 1957, "West Side Story" opened on Broadway. The show went on to become a landmark musical in a league with works such as "Show Boat" and "Oklahoma!" The Library of Congress celebrates the golden anniversary of this historic musical with "West Side Story: Birth of a Classic."

Folklorist Archie Green Honored with Living Legend Award

The Library of Congress honored labor folklorist and American Folklife Center founding father Archie Green with its Living Legend medal at a special evening concert on Aug. 16. Accepting on his behalf was his son, Derek Green.

Digital Preservation Program Makes Awards to Preserve American Creative Works

The Library of Congress, through its National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), today announced eight partnerships as part of its new Preserving Creative America initiative to address the long-term preservation of creative content in digital form. These partners will target preservation issues across a broad range of creative works, including digital photographs, cartoons, motion pictures, sound recordings and even video games. The work will be conducted by a combination of industry trade associations, private sector companies and nonprofits, as well as cultural heritage institutions.

Library of Congress Acquires Media Pioneer's Collection

The Tony Schwartz Collection will be housed at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation (www.loc.gov/avconservation/packard/), which is under the purview of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. A complete compilation of Schwartz’s work from 1947 to 1999, the collection parallels the growth of modern audio technology and the broadcast industry by documenting American life and culture during the latter half of the 20th century.

Center for the Book Publishes Bilingual Volume on Reading Promotion in the U.K., Russia and U.S.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, along with the British Council and the Pushkin Library Foundation in Russia, has recently published "Building Nations of Readers: Experience, Ideas, Examples," a handbook on reading promotion. Produced in cooperation with the Section on Reading of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the illustrated 261-page volume, written in both English and Russian, describes reading promotion and reader development in the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States.

Librarian of Congress Appoints Charles Simic Poet Laureate

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has announced the appointment of Charles Simic to be the Library’s 15th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry.

Simic will take up his duties in the fall, opening the Library’s annual literary series on Oct. 17 with a reading of his work. He also will be a featured speaker at the Library of Congress National Book Festival in the Poetry pavilion on Saturday, Sept. 29, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

"American Treasures of the Library of Congress" To Close Aug. 18

After 10 years on display, "American Treasures of the Library of Congress," an unprecedented exhibition of rare and unique items in the nation’s library, will close on Aug. 18.

Library Accepts Historic Gift of Packard Campus

Audio-visual conservation work by the Library of Congress is taking a giant leap forward as the Library acquires its new Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation in a signing ceremony this evening.

NLS Director Frank Kurt Cylke Receives Award from the American Council of the Blind

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) presented the Robert S. Bray Award to Frank Kurt Cylke, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, on July 4, 2007, during the ACB National Convention in Minneapolis.

New Materials Added to "France in America" Web Site Include Documents From Confederacy, Birth of Civil Rights Movement

The Library of Congress has completed a major expansion of its bilingual "France in America" online presentation with the addition of 247 items from its collections. The presentation, at http://international.loc.gov/intldl/fiahtml/, is one of five bilingual presentations in the Library's Global Gateway Web site (http://international.loc.gov/).

Kay Kaufman Shelemay Appointed To Chair of Modern Culture in the John W. Kluge Center

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Kay Kaufman Shelemay, an ethnomusicologist from Harvard University, to the Chair of Modern Culture in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Swann Foundation Announces Two Fellows for 2007-2008

The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, has selected Ellen Berg and Prudence Peiffer to receive Swann Foundation fellowships for 2007-2008.

Construction Under Way for Encasement of Waldeemüller Map, "Birth Certificate of America"

The only known copy of the 1507 world map by Martin Waldseemüller, the first map to use the name "America," spent nearly 400 years in obscurity in the library of a castle in southern Germany. Rediscovered in 1901 and purchased by the Library of Congress in 2003, this crown jewel of cartography will be secured in a state-of-the-art encasement and placed on permanent display later this year.

Library of Congress Announces Award-Winning Authors To Participate in Seventh Annual National Book Festival

he 2007 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by Mrs. Laura Bush, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th streets (rain or shine). The festival is free and open to the public.

U.S. Army and Federal Research Division Publish History of Battle Command Training Program

Published by the U.S. Army and co-authored by Priscilla Offenhauer and David L. Osborne of the Library of Congress’s Federal Research Division (FRD), the new "History of the U.S. Army Battle Command Training Program, 1986–2003" explains the development of this program and its role in U.S. military operations over the past two decades. This organizational history of the BCTP also describes the basic components and methodology of the battle simulation, discussing significant changes to the program since its inception.

Visiting Scholar Jenna Weissman Joselit To Study Ten Commandments in American Culture

Jenna Weissman Joselit, a Princeton University professor who was recently appointed Visiting Scholar at the John W. Kluge Center, is studying the variety of cultural forms in which the Ten Commandments appear in American culture.

FLICC Announces Awards for Federal Librarianship

Library of Congress Announces National and State Winners in Letters About Literature Program

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and Target Stores have announced the national and state winners in the 2006–2007 Letters About Literature reading and writing program.

Librarian of Congress To Name National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

The Library of Congress has announced the newly created post of National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Appointed for a two-year term by the Librarian of Congress, the ambassador will speak to the importance of fiction and nonfiction in the lives of young people. Selected for extraordinary contributions to the world of books for children and teens, he or she will encourage the appreciation of young people’s literature throughout the United States by both personal and media appearances.

Laura Campbell Recognized as Laureate by Computerworld Honors Program

Laura E. Campbell, associate librarian for Strategic Initiatives and chief information officer for the Library of Congress, today received the prestigious 2007 EMC Information Leadership Award from the Computerworld Honors Program. The award was presented during the 19th Annual Laureates Medal Ceremony & Gala Awards Evening at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. For almost two decades, Computerworld Honors has acknowledged those individuals and organizations that have used information technology to benefit society.

Library of Congress Seeks Nominations for the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt Poetry Prize

The Library of Congress is seeking nominations from publishers for the $10,000 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, which will be presented in the fall of 2007.

Five State Centers for the Book Recognized for Innovative Reading Promotion Projects

Affiliated state centers for the book from California, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana and Maine are the 2007 winners of the Boorstin Award for innovative reading promotion projects, announced John Y. Cole, director of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress.

"The Road to Jerusalem" Is Published

Published by the Library of Congress in association with University of Pennsylvania Press, "The Road to Jerusalem: Pilgrimage and Travel in the Age of Discovery" is a ground-breaking work of scholarship that constructs a historical narrative around the Library’s rich collection of early modern printed books on travel. Author F. Thomas Noonan’s research in this collection sparked this reexamination of an essential component of European history and culture. The text traces the history of early modern pilgrimage to Jerusalem in light of the history of early modern travel in general – travel that was itself renewed and colored by such cultural twists and turns as the Renaissance and the Reformation.

Veterans History Project Honors Vets with "The Great War"

The Veterans History Project, a program of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, presents "The Great War," a tribute to World War I veterans, in a new section of its Web site at www.loc.gov/vets. Rich in personal detail, photographs, journals and letters, "The Great War" provides a virtual tour of some of the most compelling collections in the Veterans History Project archives and features stories of nearly two dozen men and women who served in WWI.

Gershwin Prize-winner Paul Simon’s Song Notes Added to Music Division Collection

The Library of Congress will receive the works-in-progress manuscript in which Paul Simon worked out the lyrics for his song "Graceland," Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced upon awarding the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song to Simon during a dinner on May 22 in the Great Hall of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building.

Library of Congress Receives Guarneri Violin for Collection

More than 50 years after acquiring its first Guarneri del Gesù violin, the Library of Congress will now be able to boast that it has twins. Around 1730 to 1732, Guarneri made two violins from the same piece of wood. The Library’s newest addition, the "Baron Vitta," will donated by the estate of the late Miyoko Yamane Goldberg, wife of the late teacher and violinist Szymon Goldberg. The other violin is the "Kreisler," owned by the late eminent Austrian violinist Fritz Kreisler and given to the Library in 1952.

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Makes Room for Digital Talking Books

Marking the end of an era and preparing for the onset of digital talking books, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, announced that it will no longer require its network libraries to retain copies of books on recorded discs.

Florence Tan Moeson Fellows Appointed

As the Library of Congress observes Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a variety of events (www.loc.gov/topics/asianpacific), it is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2007 Florence Tan Moeson Fellowship. Under this program, eight scholars will have the opportunity to conduct research using the Library’s Asian collections. Comprising nearly 2.8 million items, the collections are among the most significant outside of Asia.

Koussevitzky Foundation Announces Commission Winners

The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress and the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, Inc., have awarded commissions for new musical works to five composers. The commissions are being granted jointly by the foundations and the performing organizations that will present the newly composed works.

Veterans History Project Launches Field Kit, Web Resource

To support the recently announced initiative by the Library of Congress, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and Ken Burns to collect oral histories of America’s World War II veterans, the Library of Congress Veterans History Project has produced new resources to help the public learn about and participate in the effort.

Law Librarian Rubens Medina Receives 2007 Federal 100 Award

Law Librarian of Congress Rubens Medina has received a Federal 100 Award for shepherding the 2006 upgrade of the Global Legal Information Network (GLIN), which gave legal researchers access to nearly 130,000 laws and related legal materials from nations across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas â searchable in 13 languages.

History of the Hymn "Amazing Grace" Now Online

A new Web site devoted to the history of the hymn "Amazing Grace" documents the song’s origins from the late 1700s to the current century, as well as its more than 3,000 published recordings.

Library of Congress To Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month with Lectures and Web Site

With a national theme of “The American Jewish Experience: Celebrating Religious Pluralism, Cultural Diversity and Commitment to American Civic Culture,” the second annual Jewish American Heritage Month will be celebrated by the Library of Congress with public lectures and a new Web presentation.

Veterans History Project Chronicles Unique Wartime Contributions During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project, a program of the American Folklife Center, will celebrate Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month throughout May. Eight fully digitized collections of Asian Pacific American veterans will be added to the "Experiencing War" Web series on May 1.

Star-Studded Lineup Confirmed for Library of Congress Concert Honoring Gershwin Prize Recipient Paul Simon

A star-studded cast of performers and presenters has been confirmed, with more to come, to pay tribute to Paul Simon as he receives the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song on Wednesday, May 23 at 8 p.m. at the Warner Theatre located at 1299 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C.

Library of Congress Launches Its First-Ever Blog in Celebration of 207th Birthday

The Library of Congress might be turning 207 years old tomorrow (April 24, 2007), but with the addition of the first-ever public blog to its award-winning Web site, it quite possibly has never looked younger.

Long a pioneer and leading provider of online content, with a Web site at www.loc.gov that makes 22 million digital items available at the click of a mouse and receives 5 billion hits per year, the Library of Congress will launch the blog at www.loc.gov/blog/.

Library of Congress Nominated for Two Webby Awards

The Library of Congress's award-winning Web site at www.loc.gov has been nominated for two prestigious Webby Awards, which are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

Library of Congress To Receive Original Manuscript of Composition by Teen Prodigy Jay Greenberg

The original manuscript of "Quintet for Strings," written by 15-year-old composer Jay Greenberg, will be given to the Library of Congress at an April 27 concert benefiting the Project Harmony Child Protection Center in Omaha, Neb. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington will accept the gift from Greenberg at the conclusion of its performance the night of the concert.

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington Receives Inaugural Lafayette Prize

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington is the recipient of the inaugural Lafayette Prize, given by the French-American Cultural Foundation for contributions to the development of relations between the United States and France.

Library of Congress and PBS Collect and Preserve Oral Histories of U.S. Wartime Veterans

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) today announced a joint community engagement initiative designed to gather first-hand recollections of the diverse men and women who served our nation during wartime. The public outreach campaign begins this spring and will continue beyond the broadcast of Ken Burns’ new film, "The War," which is scheduled to air on PBS beginning on September 23, 2007.

Pennsylvania and Michigan Libraries Receive Awards for Serving the Blind and Physically Handicapped

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) at the Library of Congress today presented awards to the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH), Free Library of Philadelphia, and to the Washtenaw County Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled (LBPD) of Ann Arbor, Mich.

Library of Congress and Bibliotheca Alexandrina To Cooperate in Developing World Digital Library

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Ismail Serageldin signed an agreement today at the Library of Congress outlining four areas in which the two institutions will cooperate in building a World Digital Library.

StoryCorps Project Wins Peabody Award

The StoryCorps Project, a national initiative encouraging Americans to record one another’s stories in sound, won a rare Institutional Award during the 66th annual Peabody Awards, administered by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The StoryCorps recordings, more than 9,000 interviews to date, are being archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Papers of Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger Are Donated to the Library of Congress

The papers of former Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger have been given to the Library of Congress by his widow, Jane Weinberger, in a ceremony held today at the Library. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington accepted the gift from Caspar Weinberger Jr. on behalf of his mother.

Life on the Ohio and Erie Canal Documented in New Online Presentation

"Captain Pearl R. Nye: Life on the Ohio and Erie Canal" offers a fascinating look -- through recordings, letters and photographs -- at a way of life that was eventually supplanted by the railroad. The presentation, one of more than 135 thematic collections in the American Memory Web site, is available at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/nye/.

Jefferson Building Closing Early, March 29

On Thursday, March 29, the Great Hall, exhibitions and Sales Shop in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress will be closed to the public beginning at noon.

Americans Can Read the News Before It Was History on New Web Site

The Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities today announced that "Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers" is debuting with more than 226,000 pages of public-domain newspapers from California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Utah, Virginia and the District of Columbia published between 1900 and 1910. The fully-searchable site is available at www.loc.gov/chroniclingamerica/.

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington Testifies on the Library's Digital Evolution

In today's digital environment, it takes only 15 minutes to produce an amount of information equivalent to the 134 million analog (physical) materials the Library of Congress has acquired in more than two centuries. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and other Library officials today provided testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch regarding how the Library is transforming itself to accommodate the digital age. The Librarian’s full testimony is available at www.loc.gov/about/welcome/speeches/digital/digitalage.html

Oxford University Professor Raymond Dwek Appointed To Chair of Technology and Society

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Raymond Dwek, director of the Glycobiology Institute at Oxford University, to the Chair of Technology and Society in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress To Offer Junior Fellows Summer Internships

This summer the Library of Congress, home of the U.S. Copyright Office, is once again offering special 10-week, paid internships to college students. For a stipend of $3,000, Junior Fellows Summer Interns will work full-time, starting on June 4 and ending on Aug. 10, to help locate and itemize uncataloged materials submitted to the office as part of the copyright registration process. In the past, summer interns have identified hundreds of literary, artistic, film and musical gems among the Library’s copyright deposits.

Librarian of Congress Congratulates Thomas Hampson on Receiving Honorary Membership in Society of American Music

Baritone Thomas Hampson was awarded an honorary membership by the Society for American Music in Pittsburgh on March 1 during the opening day of its annual conference. A champion of American music, the singer was selected in recognition of the recent "Song of America Tour" for the Library of Congress, as well as his many recordings of American music and the work he does through his Hampsong Foundation.

"Women Who Dare" Book Series Adds Four New Titles

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the peak of Mount Everest, armed with picket signs, pickaxes or simply a voice of their own, women have changed the course of history through their courage and spirit, often in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

Their achievements have been chronicled in four new titles in the "Women Who Dare" book series, published by the Library of Congress in association with Pomegranate Communications: "Marian Anderson" by Howard Kaplan, "Margaret Mead" by Aimee Hess, "Women Explorers" by Sharon M. Hannon and "Women for Change" by Sara Day.

Recordings by Historical Figures and Musical Legends Added To the 2006 National Recording Registry

What do President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, legendary performer and songwriter Eubie Blake, Gershwin Prize-winning musician Paul Simon and The Rolling Stones have in common? Today, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington named sound recordings made by them and 21 others to the National Recording Registry to be preserved for all time.

National Literary Society of the Deaf Becomes a Center for the Book Reading Promotion Partner

Twenty-eight deaf people, interested in furthering their education, attended the first meeting of the National Literary Society of the Deaf (NLSD) on Feb. 6, 1907, at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. One hundred years later, that group has grown to some 2,000 organizations and individuals, who will certainly celebrate NLSD’s reading promotion partnership with the Library’s Center for the Book.

Paul Simon To Be Awarded First Annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by Library of Congress

Paul Simon, one of America’s most respected songwriters and musicians, will be the recipient of the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Named in honor of the legendary George and Ira Gershwin, this newly created award recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture. The prize will be given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins.

Keynote Address by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Headlines Women's History Month Events

The Library of Congress’s extensive holdings include millions of items pertaining to women’s history and culture. A display featuring some of these items will be on view throughout March in the foyer of the James Madison Building. The Library has also launched an online resource page to highlight its collections about women and their accomplishments.

Veterans History Project Celebrates Women's History Month with Special Web Feature

The Veterans History Project, a program of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, will celebrate Women’s History Month on March 1, 2007, with "Women at War," an addition of 12 fully digitized collections to the "Experiencing War" Web series. Learn more at www.loc.gov/warstories/.

Online Collection Presents Oral Histories of U.S. Diplomats

On Feb. 21, a new online collection of interviews with some of the most prominent diplomats of the 20th century will be available from the Library of Congress at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/diplomacy/.

Librarian of Congress Names Media Entrepreneur Gerry Lenfest as Chairman of the James Madison Council

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today announced that he has named H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest as chairman of the James Madison Council, the Library’s private-sector advisory body. He succeeds Edwin L. Cox Sr. of Dallas, who will continue as a member of the Madison Council.

Charles Kupchan Named Henry Alfred Kissinger Scholar

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Charles A. Kupchan, a professor in the School of Foreign Service and in the Government Department at Georgetown University, as the Henry Alfred Kissinger Scholar in Foreign Policy and International Relations in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress To Host Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation Fellowship

The Library of Congress, starting in 2007, will host a new fellowship that will help highlight the work of women architects represented in the Library’s collections. The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) in New York City will administer the fellowship.

Law Library of Congress To Celebrate 175th Anniversary in 2007

In celebration of its 175 years of service to Congress and the nation, the Law Library of Congress is launching a yearlong series of events designed to celebrate its achievements and showcase its unparalleled resources.

Grace Cavalieri and "The Poet and Poem" Radio Series Celebrate 30th Anniversary

Grace Cavalieri, host of "The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress," will celebrate 30 years of interviewing poets with the spring 2007 season of the radio series that is available to all public radio stations.

$2 Million Sloan Foundation Grant To Help Digitize Thousands of Books

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today announced that the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded the Library of Congress a $2 million grant for a program to digitize thousands of public-domain works, with a major focus on at-risk "brittle books" and U.S. history volumes.

Launch of Web Site Leads List of Special Events Honoring Black Achievement

The Library of Congress holds several million items of African-American history and culture. In celebrating the history of African-Americans, the Library has launched an online resource page (www.loc.gov/africanamericans) featuring its rich African-American collections, from slave narratives to veterans’ oral histories; stories on major historical figures; ready-to-use lesson plans for teachers; collection guides; and online exhibitions.

Contemporary Japanese Print Exhibition Starts March 29

"On the Cutting Edge: Contemporary Japanese Prints" will feature 212 fine prints from the College Women’s Association of Japan (CWAJ) Print Show. The exhibition marks the 50th anniversary of the CWAJ Print Show and celebrates the donation of the show’s prints to the collections of the Library of Congress.

Jefferson's Copy of Koran Used in Congressional Swearing-in

When Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) took his individual ceremonial oath of office on Jan. 4, it was with one hand upon Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Koran.

"Expanding the NLS Experience" Wins MarCom's Platinum Award for 2006

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, received a Platinum Award from the 2006 MarCom Creative Awards for its national outreach campaign "Expanding the NLS Experience."

U.S. Congressman Major Owens Named Distinguished Visiting Scholar at John W. Kluge Center

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named Congressman Major R. Owens (D-NY) as a distinguished visiting scholar in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.

National Library Service for the Blind Announces New Administrator of Braille Certification

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, will turn over administrative tasks of the braille certification program to the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), beginning in early 2007.

Librarian of Congress Adds Home Movie, Silent Films and Hollywood Classics to Film Preservation List

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has added 25 motion pictures to the National Film Registry to be preserved for all time, bringing the total number of films on the registry to 450.

Thomas Jefferson Building Closed, Morning of Jan. 4

Due to a special event at the Library of Congress, the Thomas Jefferson Building will be closed to the public until 1 p.m. on Thursday, January 4.

2006 National Film Registry Picks to be Announced on Dec. 27

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington will announce the 2006 selections to the National Film Registry on Wednesday, December 27. This group of titles will bring the total number of films on the registry to 450.

Library of Congress Launches RSS Feeds

The Library of Congress has launched a series of news feeds using the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology.

Since its launch in 1994, the Library's award-winning Web site has been the destination of Web users seeking authoritative information and unparalleled collections, with more than 22 million digital objects available in 186 terabytes of content, including photographs, maps, music, film, books and reference information on topics ranging from American history to science and technology to popular culture. The RSS service was launched in response to public requests for alerts on additions to the Library's digital collections, updates of events at the Library's public venues in Washington and news of the institution.

Library of Congress and U.S. Copyright Office Issue Notice of Public Roundtable on Exceptions in Copyright Law For Libraries and Archives

The public roundtable is part of the work of the Section 108 Study Group, which is charged with making recommendations on the exceptions and limitations applicable to libraries and archives under section 108 of the Copyright Act, especially as section 108 affects libraries’ use of digital media.

The roundtable discussion will be held in Chicago on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST, at DePaul University College of Law, Lewis Building, 10th Floor, Room 1001, 25 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604.

2006 John W. Kluge Prize Winners Announced

John Hope Franklin, 91, and Yu Ying-shih, 76, have been named the recipients of the third John W. Kluge Prize for lifetime achievement in the study of humanity.

Da Vinci Drawing in First Public Viewing Outside of Italy

For the first time ever, Leonard da Vinci's preparatory drawing for the painting "Adoration of the Magi" will be on public display outside of Italy. The Library of Congress will host a special two-day showing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7, and Friday, Dec. 8, at the Library of Congress.

Working Group Established To Discuss Future of Bibliographic Control

Advances in search-engine technology, the popularity of the Internet and the influx of electronic information resources have greatly changed the way libraries do their work. To address those changes, the Library of Congress has convened a Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control to examine the future of bibliographic description in the 21st century.

Jo Ann C. Jenkins Appointed Chief Operating Officer

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Jo Ann C. Jenkins as chief operating officer, effective Jan. 1, 2007.

New Chief of Music Division

Susan Vita has been appointed chief of the Library of Congress Music Division.