News from the Library of Congress

March 2023

February 2023

  • February 21, 2023  (23-027)
    Open Submissions for Fifth Annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film The Better Angels Society, the Library of Congress, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced the open call for entries for the fifth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, which recognizes exemplary accomplishment in historical documentaries.The award, which was established in 2019, recognizes one late-stage documentary film that uses original research and compelling narrative to tell stories that bring American...
    • Date: 2023-02-21
  • February 16, 2023  (23-024)
    Live at the Library to Feature Gershwin Prize Honoree Joni Mitchell Gershwin Prize honoree Joni Mitchell will sit down with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden for a special conversation during Live at the Library on March 2. The Library will continue to celebrate Women’s History Month with an event highlighting women’s contributions to the music industry. Plus, join for an inside look at two Library exhibitions, “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America” and “Not an...
    • Date: 2023-02-16
  • February 14, 2023  (23-017)
    Library of Congress Receives $2.5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. The Library of Congress has received a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The grant will support the launch of Library programs to enhance public understanding of religious cultures in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia over a five-year period.This is the largest Lilly Endowment grant to the Library of Congress, and the largest private...
    • Date: 2023-02-14
  • February 10, 2023  (23-020)
    Updated Federal Library Directory Increases Accessibility to US Agency Libraries The “Federal Library Directory,” now in an updated second edition, profiles federal libraries and information centers in the United States and abroad. Presented with an interactive map, the directory displays geographic and collections data from nearly 1,400 federal libraries.The Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) offers this public dataset for scholars and library researchers to access relevant data on federal libraries. To view the...
    • Date: 2023-02-10
  • February 9, 2023  (23-022)
    Artists to Celebrate Joni Mitchell Receiving Library of Congress Gershwin Prize Musical artists will join the national library and American leaders to honor music legend Joni Mitchell in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, March 1, as she is awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during an all-star tribute concert.The lineup will include performances by James Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Marcus Mumford, Graham Nash, Diana Krall and...
    • Date: 2023-02-09
  • February 8, 2023  (23-021)
    Library Acquires Archives of Garth Fagan Dance Company The Library of Congress has acquired the papers of choreographer Garth Fagan and Garth Fagan Dance, the company founded by Fagan in 1970. Garth Fagan Dance is distinguished by the artistic imagination and polyrhythmic movement of Jamaican-born Fagan, layered with the discipline and strength of ballet training. The company has performed in more than 660 cities in 24 countries on six continents.As widely as...
    • Date: 2023-02-08
  • February 7, 2023  (23-007)
    Library of Congress Releases Newly Digitized Colonial-era African Postcards The Library of Congress has announced the initial release of over 1,300 newly digitized postcards from the Africana Historic Postcard Collection, which depicts life under French, Italian, German, Belgian and British colonial rule in sub-Saharan Africa from the 1890s until the end of the 1930s.More than 5,000 colonial-era postcards will comprise the online collection in the future to help researchers, teachers and students, and...
    • Date: 2023-02-07
  • February 2, 2023  (23-015)
    Library to Host Winter 2023 Copyright Public Modernization Committee Meeting The Library of Congress will host a virtual meeting of the Copyright Public Modernization Committee on Thursday, March 2 at 1 p.m. ET. In addition to updates from Library and Copyright Office staff on the development of the Enterprise Copyright System, attendees will see a live demonstration of the registration application currently in development, followed by a discussion with committee members and a Q&A.This...
    • Date: 2023-02-02
  • February 1, 2023  (23-016)
    Library Opens New Web Archive Collection, Features Programs for Black History Month A new web archive collection from the Library of Congress documents the civil unrest sparked by the police murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. The Protests Against Racism Web Archive contains a selection of websites documenting protests against racism and police brutality against Black people, as well as grass roots movements and activism calling for police reform.The release of the web archive...
    • Date: 2023-02-01

January 2023

  • January 26, 2023  (23-012)
    Live at the Library to Celebrate Black History Month, Presidents Day in February Dive deep into the Library’s collections in celebration of Black History Month with displays and a performance from the Library’s American Folklife Center during Live at the Library in February. Plus, step back in time with an intimate look at the presidency of Calvin Coolidge in honor of Presidents Day.On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended...
    • Date: 2023-01-26
  • January 26, 2023  (23-011)
    Library of Congress Appoints Hannah Sommers New Associate Librarian for Researcher and Collections Services The Library of Congress announced today the appointment of Hannah Sommers as the new Associate Librarian for Researcher and Collections Services in the Library Collections and Services Group. In this role, Sommers will lead the future of the Library’s collections and the services it delivers to researchers and users. She will be central to realizing the Library’s aspiration to be not only the world’s...
    • Date: 2023-01-26
  • January 25, 2023  (23-A01)
    Jefferson Building Access Changes, Jan. 26 On Thursday, Jan. 26, the Thomas Jefferson Building will close to the public at 3 p.m. to prepare for a special event. This will affect the Great Hall, all exhibitions and the Library Shop.Researchers may access Jefferson Building reading rooms until 5 p.m. The Main Reading Room, usually open until 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, will close early, at 6 p.m. The West Basement (Carriage)...
    • Date: 2023-01-25
  • January 20, 2023  (23-009)
    Library of Congress Announces Spring 2023 Concert Series The Library of Congress will present a series of concerts and more this spring, with chamber music, jazz, dance and film events. Conversations with artists and composers, curated displays, and educational projects will enhance the season’s offerings and provide opportunities for encounters with the Library’s unparalleled music collections.Events are free and open to the public. Patrons can register to attend events on the Concerts...
    • Date: 2023-01-20
  • January 18, 2023  (23-004)
    Meg Medina Named New National Ambassador for Young People's Literature The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader today announced the appointment of Meg Medina as the eighth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2023-2024.Medina, a Cuban-American, is the first Latina to serve as National Ambassador in the program’s history. She succeeds Jason Reynolds, who served as the National Ambassador from 2020 through 2022.Medina’s books examine how culture and identity intersect through...
    • Date: 2023-01-18
  • January 13, 2023  (23-006)
    Library of Congress Awards Second Round of More than $500,000 to Support Contemporary Cultural Field Research within Diverse Communities The Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center is pleased to announce the second recipient cohort of the Community Collections Grant program. Launched by the Library’s Of the People: Widening the Path initiative, this series of grants is awarded to individuals and organizations working to document cultures and traditions of Black, Indigenous and communities of color historically underrepresented in the United States and in the...
    • Date: 2023-01-13
  • January 12, 2023  (23-003)
    Library of Congress Celebrates Historic Aramont Library The Library of Congress will celebrate the Aramont Library with a series of events on Jan. 19 that includes a scholarly symposium, a display of first editions and illustrated books by world-renowned artists from the 19thand 20th centuries and a roundtable discussion about the making of the modern book.In private hands for over 40 years, the Aramont Library was donated to the Library of...
    • Date: 2023-01-12
  • January 12, 2023  (23-008)
    Joni Mitchell to Receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Media Contacts: Brett Zongker, bzongker@loc.govLameka Lucas, WETA, llucas@weta.org Video and Media Assets: newsroom.loc.gov Joni Mitchell to Receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular SongPBS to Premiere Concert Special Honoring Joni Mitchell on March 31 Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced that Joni Mitchell, an icon among music makers, will be the next recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for...
    • Date: 2023-01-12
  • January 11, 2023  (23-005)
    Library of Congress Opens Applications for the 2023 Literacy Awards Applications are being accepted for the 2023 Library of Congress Literacy Awards from Jan. 11 to March 1. The awards are made possible through the generosity of philanthropist David M. Rubenstein.The Literacy Awards — established by the Library of Congress and Rubenstein — were first conferred in 2013 to honor and support organizations working to promote literacy both in the United States and abroad....
    • Date: 2023-01-11
  • January 6, 2023  (23-001)
    Live at the Library to Feature Rare Book Collection, New Exhibition in January Visitors will have the chance to dive deep into the Library of Congress’ newest exhibition “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America” during Live at the Library in January. Plus, a special display and roundtable will take visitors behind the scenes of a rare modernist book and art collection.On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from...
    • Date: 2023-01-06

December 2022

  • December 16, 2022  (22-121)
    Library of Congress Announces New General Counsel Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that Margaret Williams will become General Counsel of the Library of Congress effective New Year’s Day. Williams has been at the Library for 35 years, serving most recently as Deputy General Counsel. She succeeds Elizabeth Pugh who will retire on December 31, after a distinguished 44-year career with the federal government including 22 years at the Library.“Elizabeth...
    • Date: 2022-12-16
  • December 14, 2022  (22-120)
    25 Eclectic Films Chosen for National Film Registry Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today the annual selection of 25 influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Selected for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage, the newest selections include a vibrant diversity of American filmmakers, as well as landmark works in key genres and numerous documentaries.The 2022...
    • Date: 2022-12-14
  • December 12, 2022  (22-110)
    Library Announces 2022 Music Commissions from Koussevitzky Foundation The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress has awarded commissions for new musical works to seven composers. The commissions are granted jointly by the foundation and the performing organizations that will present the world premiere of each work.Winning composers for 2022 and the groups co-sponsoring their commissions are Marcos Balter and the New York New Music Ensemble; Oscar Bettison and loadbang,...
    • Date: 2022-12-12
  • December 8, 2022  (22-A04)
    Holiday Schedule Dec. 2022-Jan. 2023 The following is the holiday operation schedule, including building closures, for the Library of Congress for December 2022 and early January 2023:Saturday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve)The Thomas Jefferson Building will be open to visitors with timed-entry passes from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Madison and Adams buildings and all Library of Congress reading rooms will be CLOSED.Sunday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)All Library buildings...
    • Date: 2022-12-08
  • December 6, 2022  (22-109)
    Join In: New Library of Congress Exhibition Features History of Voluntary Associations in America The newest exhibition at the Library of Congress, “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America,” explores America’s history as a “nation of joiners” and our long tradition of volunteering for a wide range of groups and causes. The exhibition opens to the public Dec. 16 and will be on view through Dec. 31, 2023.Americans have a longstanding impulse to join together for common purposes, such...
    • Date: 2022-12-06
  • December 5, 2022  (22-108)
    Library to Celebrate Jason Reynolds' Three Years as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader will celebrate the end of Jason Reynolds’ unprecedented three-year term as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature with local students in the Washington, D.C., area on Dec. 13.“Jason Reynolds’ tenure as National Ambassador has been nothing short of magic,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “For three years, Jason toured the country, empowering students to...
    • Date: 2022-12-05

November 2022

  • November 28, 2022  (22-106)
    Library of Congress Hosts Virtual Panel on Future of Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment The Library of Congress will host its annual Cancer Moonshot panel discussion on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 10:30 a.m. ET. Led by the Health Services Division at the Library, the virtual event will bring together leading scientists and a White House representative to discuss advances in cancer prevention, detection and treatment.What: Virtual Cancer Moonshot PanelWhen: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 10:30 a.m. – noon ETWhere: Online....
    • Date: 2022-11-28
  • November 18, 2022  (22-104)
    Library of Congress Appoints Natalie Merchant, Martha González and Ricardo L. Punzalan to American Folklife Center's Board of Trustees The Library of Congress today announced the appointment of prominent musicians and scholars to the American Folklife Center’s board of trustees, who will provide crucial advice and policy direction for the center over a six-year term. Platinum-selling recording artist Natalie Merchant, musician and Macarthur Fellow Martha González and community archiving scholar Ricardo L. Punzalan have been appointed to the American Folklife Center Board of...
    • Date: 2022-11-18
  • November 18, 2022  (22-105)
    Library of Congress to Host Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa The Library of Congress will host Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. in the Library’s Coolidge Auditorium to discuss her upcoming book, “How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for the Future.”In one of Ressa’s few appearances in the United States for her memoir, the Nobel Prize-winning journalist will be in conversation with Roswell Encina,...
    • Date: 2022-11-18
  • November 17, 2022  (22-103)
    Live at the Library to Feature Special Preview of New Exhibit, Bobbitt Prize Honorees in December Visitors will have the chance to preview the Library’s newest exhibition, “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America” and are invited to celebrate the holidays with the Library during Live at the Library in December. Winners of the Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove and Heid E. Erdrich, will also be honored during a special reading.On Thursday evenings, the Library’s...
    • Date: 2022-11-17
  • November 15, 2022  (22-102)
    Library of Congress Awards Bobbitt Poetry Prizes to Rita Dove and Heid E. Erdrich The Library of Congress will award the 2022 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry to former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove for lifetime achievement and to Heid E. Erdrich for her poetry collection “Little Big Bully.”The poets will receive their honors and read selections from their work on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. The reading is...
    • Date: 2022-11-15
  • November 14, 2022  (22-099)
    Library of Congress Opens Award Nominations for Outstanding Federal Libraries, Librarians and Library Technicians To honor the innovations and successes of federal libraries, librarians and library technicians in meeting the information demands of government, businesses, scholarly communities and the public, the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) in the Library of Congress has opened nominations for its national awards for federal librarianship in fiscal year 2022.For nomination materials, visit the “awards” section of the FEDLINK website or email...
    • Date: 2022-11-14
  • November 10, 2022  (20-098)
    2023 Innovator in Residence Rebuilds and Revisits Lost Communities The Library of Congress has appointed Rhode Island artist, educator and community-focused researcher Jeffrey Yoo Warren as 2023 Innovator in Residence. With his project, Seeing Lost Enclaves: Relational Reconstructions of Erased Historic Neighborhoods of Color, Yoo Warren will use photographs, maps, film and audio recordings from Library collections to build an immersive digital 3D model of historic Chinatowns in Providence, Rhode Island and another...
    • Date: 2022-11-10
  • November 10, 2022  (22-097)
    Library of Congress Celebrates Successful Literacy Practices with 2022 Literacy Award Winners In celebration of the 2022 Literacy Awards winners and honorees, the Library of Congress will present a five-part webinar series to begin next month. A video and Story Map that are now available explore the impact of this year’s winners and honorees on individuals around the world through their successful literacy programs.The free, live webinar series will begin on Dec. 15, 2022, with a...
    • Date: 2022-11-10
  • November 9, 2022  (22-100)
    Library Explores the Role of GIS in Addressing Humanitarian Disasters The Library of Congress will highlight the role that geospatial data and GIS technologies can play in creating positive change in the face of global humanitarian challenges to mark GIS Day on Nov. 16. Geography enthusiasts, teachers, students and professionals celebrate GIS Day across the globe with community events to highlight the benefits of geospatial science and technology in addressing the world’s challenges. This...
    • Date: 2022-11-09
  • November 2, 2022  (22-091)
    Library Seeks Applicants for 2023 Junior Fellows Program The Library of Congress is seeking applicants for its Junior Fellows Program, a summer internship held from May 22, 2023, to July 28, 2023. This 10-week, full-time paid internship is open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning and conducting research using the resources of the world’s largest library. Remote and onsite project opportunities are available. The deadline to apply is Monday, Nov....
    • Date: 2022-11-02
  • November 1, 2022  (22-095)
    Kislak Family Foundation Gives $10M to Create New Gallery Exploring History of Early Americas at Library of Congress The Kislak Family Foundation is donating $10 million to create a new exhibition at the Library of Congress that will share a fuller history of the early Americas, featuring the acclaimed Jay I. Kislak Collection of artifacts, paintings, maps, rare books and documents, the Library announced today. The new Kislak Gallery will be part of a reimagined visitor experience at the national library in...
    • Date: 2022-11-01

October 2022

  • October 27, 2022  (20-094)
    Library of Congress Acquires Rare Codex from Central Mexico The Library of Congress has acquired the San Salvador Huejotzingo Codex, which documents legal proceedings from 1571 in which Indigenous Nahuatl officials in central Mexico accused their village’s Spanish canon, or administrator, of mistreatment, harassment and underpayment.The codex contains new details about the earliest legal structures in Mexico after Spanish colonization and the way Indigenous people used Spanish laws to defend their rights. The...
    • Date: 2022-10-27
  • October 25, 2022  (22-089)
    Library of Congress Acquires Historical Airfare Collection The Library of Congress has acquired 1,588 volumes of airline tariffs, rules and routes from the Airline Tariff Publishing Company, ensuring that future generations will see how flights were sold, ticketed and distributed from the 1940s through the dawn of the internet age.Since 1965, the company has collected and distributed the world’s fare and fare-related data to the global ecosystem so travel agents, airlines,...
    • Date: 2022-10-25
  • October 20, 2022  (22-093)
    Live at the Library to Mark 125th Anniversary of Thomas Jefferson Building, Veterans Day in November The new Thursday evening series Live at the Library is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building with a rare open house and concert. Later in November for Veterans Day, the Library will honor veteran stories with a special music and narrative performance.On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for...
    • Date: 2022-10-20
  • October 17, 2022  (22-090)
    Scholar at the Library of Congress Identifies the First Motion Picture Ever Copyrighted Claudy Op den Kamp, a film scholar at the Library of Congress’ John W. Kluge Center, has solved a longstanding mystery by identifying the first U.S. motion picture ever copyrighted – “The Blacksmith Shop” by Thomas Edison.For decades, scholars have mined copyright records at the Library — home to the U.S. Copyright Office — to piece together the story of early cinema. It has...
    • Date: 2022-10-17
  • October 12, 2022  (22-092)
    Library to Host Halloween Family Day with Authors R.L. Stine and Mary Pope Osborne The Library of Congress will host a day of family-friendly activities on Saturday, Oct. 22, in the Thomas Jefferson Building. The day will feature a special program at 2 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium with beloved authors R.L. Stine, author of the “Goosebumps” series, and Mary Pope Osborne, author of the “Magic Tree House” series.Free timed-entry passes are required to enter the Thomas Jefferson...
    • Date: 2022-10-12

September 2022

  • September 22, 2022  (22-083)
    Live at the Library to Feature Giant Bible of Mainz in October The new Thursday evening series Live at the Library will feature a rare viewing of one of the Library’s treasures, the Giant Bible of Mainz, in celebration of National German-American Friendship Day.On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour drinks and snacks available for...
    • Date: 2022-09-22