News from the Library of Congress

September 2024

August 2024

  • August 28, 2024  (24-073)
    Library of Congress Launches Sixth Season of "America Works" Podcast The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress today launched its sixth season of “America Works,” an original podcast series that honors the grit, resilience, humor and dedication of the 168-million-strong American workforce. The new season, released just in time for Labor Day, focuses on workers involved in food production, from agriculture workers to a fisherman and a German sausage maker, among others.The…
    • Date: 2024-08-29
  • August 27, 2024  (24-071)
    Library to Host Montly Family Days Throughout Fall and Winter The Library of Congress will host monthly Family Days throughout the fall and winter season, including programming focused around Hispanic Heritage Month, Halloween, Veterans Day and winter holidays. Families and visitors of all ages are invited to participate in collections-based activities for budding researchers and explore exhibitions on display in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Each program includes a creative activity, connections to Library of…
    • Date: 2024-08-28
  • August 21, 2024  (24-070)
    Library Announces Winners of Library of Congress Friends' Choice Civics Video Challenge The Library of Congress announced today the first, second and third place winners of the Library of Congress Friends’ Choice Civics Video Challenge, whose creative entries aim to improve public knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of American citizens. Winning video contest entries will receive $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000 in cash prizes, respectively.In 2023, with support from Friends of the Library, the Library called…
    • Date: 2024-08-22
  • August 20, 2024  (24-055)
    James McBride to Receive 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that the 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will be awarded to James McBride.One of the Library’s most prestigious awards, the annual Prize for American Fiction honors an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination. “I’m…
    • Date: 2024-08-21
  • August 14, 2024  (24-065)
    Dress as Your Favorite Film Character, Participate in a Hip-Hop Jam Session and Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month During Live! At The Library in September Visitors are invited to an enchanting evening at the Library of Congress on Sept. 12 for a Film Costume Ball during Live! At The Library. Dress in your favorite film-inspired attire, participate in a costume contest and dance the night away to a DJ-curated soundtrack of iconic film scores – all while enjoying themed food and cocktails. Guests will also be invited to explore…
    • Date: 2024-08-15
  • August 13, 2024  (24-068)
    Library of Congress to Host Congress.gov Public Forum on Sept. 18 Members of the public will have the opportunity to learn more about Congress.gov and give feedback on the website at the next Congress.gov Public Forum hosted by the Library of Congress on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Congress.gov is the authoritative source for U.S. federal legislative information and is greatly enhanced by public feedback. The Library encourages everyone interested…
    • Date: 2024-08-14
  • August 13, 2024  (24-069)
    Library of Congress National Book Festival Teams Up with C-SPAN's Book TV to Showcase Nonfiction Literary Voices C-SPAN's Book TV is partnering with the Library of Congress to bring the 2024 National Book Festival to a national television audience, live and on-site from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Aug. 24.As an original media partner of the National Book Festival, C-SPAN's Book TV is contributing the following for this year's event held on Saturday, Aug. 24:Live coverage of author interviews…
    • Date: 2024-08-14
  • August 11, 2024  (24-066)
    National Book Festival Offers Full Day of Activities for Families, Stories for Kids and Young Readers Children, young readers and families will find a full day of free activities at the 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Washington Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Readers of all ages will find author programs of interest on stages across the festival. Use the schedule tool at loc.gov/bookfest to find programs by stage, event type…
    • Date: 2024-08-12
  • August 11, 2024  (24-067)
    Library of Congress to Award Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity to Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah will receive the 2024 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity.Appiah is the Silver Professor of Philosophy and Law at New York University. He is internationally recognized for his contributions to the study of philosophy as it relates to ethics, language, nationality and race. Appiah also writes “The…
    • Date: 2024-08-12
  • August 6, 2024  (24-061)
    Library of Congress Announces Fall 2024 Concert Series Concerts from the Library of Congress continues a major, 18-month centennial celebration in the 2024-2025 season, presenting a vivid and diverse array of concerts and conversations, lectures and film screenings that range across genre and style to mark a century of extraordinary music at the nation’s library. “Our concerts reinforce our 100-year history and heritage as a significant presenter of the performing arts,” said…
    • Date: 2024-08-07
  • July 31, 2024  (24-062)
    Library Announces 2024 Music Commissions from Koussevitzky Foundation The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress has awarded commissions for new musical works to eight 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 2024 and the groups co-sponsoring their commissions are Andy Akiho and Sandbox Percussion; Donnacha Dennehy and F-Plus Trio; Ted Hearne and…
    • Date: 2024-08-01

July 2024

  • July 30, 2024  (24-064)
    Copyright Office Releases Part 1 of Artificial Intelligence Report, Recommends Federal Digital Replica Law Today, the U.S. Copyright Office is releasing Part 1 of its report on the legal and policy issues related to copyright and artificial intelligence, addressing the topic of digital replicas. This part of the report responds to the proliferation of videos, images or audio recordings that have been digitally created or manipulated to realistically but falsely depict an individual. Given the gaps in existing…
    • Date: 2024-07-31
  • July 18, 2024  (24-A09)
    Jefferson Building Access July 24 On Wednesday, July 24, due to a joint session of Congress at the United States Capitol, all Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill will be closed to public visitors. No timed-entry passes will be offered for the day. Reading rooms will be open for registered researchers. To access the Thomas Jefferson Building researchers must enter through the C Street entrance of the James…
    • Date: 2024-07-19
  • July 17, 2024  (24-058)
    Enjoy Musical Performances and Summer Movies on the Lawn During Live! at the Library in August Visitors are invited to celebrate the sounds of summer during Live! at the Library with various musical performances during the entire month of August. The United States Air Force Band returns to the Library of Congress on Aug. 1 to whisk audiences away on a romantic adventure in Paris. On Aug. 8, escape to the Caribbean without leaving D.C. to hear the vibrant island…
    • Date: 2024-07-18
  • July 17, 2024  (24-059)
    Library of Congress Honors Libraries in Maryland and Michigan for Outstanding Service to Readers with Disabilities The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled at the Library of Congress today recognized two of its cooperating libraries in Maryland and Michigan for their outstanding service to readers with visual, physical or print disabilities.The Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled in Baltimore received the 2024 Regional Library of the Year Award, while the Larry Gorton Talking Book…
    • Date: 2024-07-18
  • July 16, 2024  (24-057)
    Library to Host Zachary Levi and Zooey Deschanel Discussing New Sony Pictures Film, "Harold and the Purple Crayon" The Library of Congress will host a conversation with Zachary Levi and Zooey Deschanel who star in the new film, “Harold and the Purple Crayon” in the Coolidge Auditorium on Tuesday, July 30 at 5 p.m. Prior to the discussion, a sneak peek clip from the upcoming movie will be presented. From 6 to 7 p.m., visitors are also invited to view a display…
    • Date: 2024-07-17
  • July 8, 2024  (24-060)
    Library of Congress National Book Festival Partners with PBS Books to Amplify New and Beloved Literary Voices from the 2024 Festival Throughout history, the art of reading has nourished the mind, sharpened perspective and inspired change. Books are foundational building blocks to learning and the preface to understanding one another, the human condition and lived experience. In so many ways, books build us up, and that’s the theme for this year’s Library of Congress National Book Festival. Beginning July 10, bookworms across the country can…
    • Date: 2024-07-09
  • July 1, 2024  (24-A08)
    Jefferson Building Access July 10 On Wednesday, July 10 due to a special event at the Library, the entire Thomas Jefferson Building will be closed for the entire day to staff, researchers and the public. No timed-entry passes will be offered for the day.There is no impact to James Madison Memorial Building or John Adams Building on Capitol Hill, or other Library facilities.Normal access to the reading rooms in…
    • Date: 2024-07-02
  • June 30, 2024  (24-A07)
    Modified Operations and Closures for Independence Day Holiday On Thursday, July 4, the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson building, including the Main Reading Room, will be open to visitors with timed-entry tickets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The James Madison Memorial Building, John Adams Building and all reading rooms are closed in observance of the federal holiday, and there will be no research availability or reader registration on this date. There…
    • Date: 2024-07-01

June 2024

  • June 26, 2024  (24-056)
    Library of Congress Acquires House of Blues Radio Collection The Library of Congress has acquired the House of Blues Radio Hour spanning 20 years’ worth of programs that promoted the blues, introduced new audiences to the popular music genre and showcased emerging talent. Hosted by celebrity actor-musician Dan Aykroyd, the series was a soulful journey through a cornerstone of American music, offering poignant interviews and stories of blues legends past and present, including…
    • Date: 2024-06-27
  • June 20, 2024  (24-053)
    Enjoy Olympics-Themed Events and Summer Movies on the Lawn During Live! at the Library in July Enjoy summer movies on the lawn beginning on July 11 with a screening of “The Wizard of Oz”. Before the film, join us on the mezzanine of the Thomas Jefferson Building for a bachata class led by Orlando Machuca, Estefany, and DJ Hercules. Visitors are invited to come for a special pop-up trivia event celebrating the 2024 Olympics in Paris on July 18. Trivia…
    • Date: 2024-06-21
  • June 20, 2024  (24-054)
    Papers of Talk Show Host and Sex Therapist Ruth Westheimer Open for Research at Library of Congress The papers of talk show host and sex therapist Ruth Westheimer have been acquired by the Library of Congress and are now opening for research in the Library’s Manuscript Division.Westheimer became a household name as “Dr. Ruth” in the 1980s, filling radio airwaves, television screens, and bookshelves with advice on sex and relationships. Westheimer was a pioneering voice in sex education, speaking openly about…
    • Date: 2024-06-21
  • June 19, 2024  (24-048)
    Library of Congress National Book Festival Announces Full Author Lineup for 2024 The festival’s theme this year, “Books Build Us Up,” explores how reading can help connect us and inform our lives. It’s through books that readers can develop strong bonds with writers and their ideas — relationships that open the entire world, real or imagined, to us all.Throughout the day, attendees will hear conversations from authors of various genres across the festival's many stages. Award-winning…
    • Date: 2024-06-20
  • June 12, 2024  (24-052)
    Annual Summer Movies on the Lawn to Present National Film Registry Selections The Library of Congress will host its annual “Summer Movies on the Lawn” series starting July 11. The series featuring films from the Library’s National Film Registry will be presented on Thursday evenings at sundown on the southeast lawn of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. The scheduled films include:July 11: “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) (1989 National Film Registry)July 18: “An American in Paris”…
    • Date: 2024-06-13
  • June 3, 2024  (23-A06)
    Jefferson Building Access June 11 and June 19 The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress will have adjusted operating hours on June 11 and June 19.On Tuesday, June 11, a special event in the Great Hall will reduce access in the Thomas Jefferson Building. All exhibitions, public spaces and the Library Shop in the Jefferson Building will be closed for the entire day, and no timed-entry passes will be offered…
    • Date: 2024-06-04

May 2024

  • May 29, 2024  (24-047)
    Library To Host Treasures Family Day in June with a Special Performance by Natalie Merchant The Library of Congress will host a Family Day on June 15 with focused programming around the new Treasures Gallery exhibition. Natalie Merchant will begin the day leading a folk-song sing-along in the historic Coolidge Auditorium with a selection of traditional folk music drawn from the Library’s vast archive at the American Folklife Center. Activities will be held on Saturday, June 15, on the…
    • Date: 2024-05-30
  • May 28, 2024  (24-050)
    Library of Congress Hosts Documentary Screening About African American Rosie the Riveters During World War II The Library of Congress Veterans History Project will host a screening June 6 of the “Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II,” a documentary about the 600,000 African American “Rosie the Riveters” who served during that conflict. The screening, jointly sponsored with the Daniel A.P. Murray African American Cultural Association, honors the 80th anniversary of D-Day in which the Rosies played a…
    • Date: 2024-05-29
  • May 22, 2024  (24-046)
    Celebrate the Opening of the Library's Treasures Gallery During Live! at the Library in June Celebrate the opening of the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery at the Library of Congress during Live! at the Library on June 13.Experience the gallery’s inaugural exhibition featuring one-of-a-kind items from across the Library’s vast collections. Natalie Merchant will perform an evening concert in the historic Coolidge Auditorium to celebrate the opening of the Treasures Gallery with a selection of original material and traditional…
    • Date: 2024-05-23
  • May 21, 2024  (24-049)
    New Library Exhibition "Collecting Memories" to Open in New David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery “Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress,” will open the evening of June 13 as the inaugural exhibition in the new David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery and will be on view through December 2025 in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building.“Collecting Memories” explores how cultures preserve memory, including the role of the Library in preserving collective memories representing entire societies, important moments in history…
    • Date: 2024-05-22
  • May 14, 2024  (24-043)
    Library of Congress Awards Celebrate Federal Library Excellence The Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) has announced the winners of its national awards for federal librarianship, which recognize the many innovative ways that federal libraries, librarians, and library technicians fulfill the information demands of the government, business and scholarly communities, and the American public.Federal libraries and staff throughout the United States and abroad competed for the awards. The following winners were chosen…
    • Date: 2024-05-15
  • May 14, 2024  (24-042)
    Library of Congress Centers for the Book Choose 'Great Reads' Titles for Each State, Territory for 2024 National Book Festival The 56 affiliated Centers for the Book of the Library of Congress have chosen books, called Great Reads, that will be recognized at the 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival, the Library announced today. Every year since 2002, these Library affiliates have chosen a book to celebrate at the Book Festival in the Library’s Roadmap to Reading -– a vast space at the…
    • Date: 2024-05-15
  • May 13, 2024  (24-041)
    National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Unveils New Video Series Featuring 18 Notable Children's and Young Adult Authors National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Meg Medina is launching a new video series starting on May 14, featuring beloved children’s and young adult authors, illustrators and graphic novelists to foster a lifelong love of reading among young learners. Primarily intended for families and children between the ages of 9-12, and for librarians and educators, this dynamic 18-segment series is part of Medina’s “Cuéntame!:…
    • Date: 2024-05-14
  • April 30, 2024  (24-039)
    Library Hosts Hidden Portals Experience and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Events in May Library of Congress 2023-2024 Innovator in Residence Jeffrey Yoo Warren is inviting the public to visit a series of virtual installations in the Library’s Washington, D.C. campus and five historic Asian American sites around the country. Accessible by mobile device, the experimental Hidden Portals experience provides an immersive 3D reconstruction of these neighborhoods developed using archival photographs and records from local and Library of…
    • Date: 2024-05-01

April 2024

  • April 25, 2024  (24-033)
    New Book 'California Gold' Highlights New Deal Folk Music Project A new book from the Library of Congress offers a compelling cultural snapshot of a diverse California during the late 1930s at the height of the New Deal. “California Gold: Sidney Robertson and the WPA California Folk Music Project” draws on the career of folk music collector Sidney Robertson, who proposed and directed a New Deal initiative designed to survey musical traditions from a…
    • Date: 2024-04-26
  • April 25, 2024  (24-034)
    National Recording Registry Inducts Sounds of ABBA, Blondie, The Cars, The Chicks, Juan Gabriel, Green Day, The Notorious B.I.G. and Lily Tomlin ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” Blondie’s era-defining “Parallel Lines,” The Notorious B.I.G.’s landmark “Ready to Die,” Green Day’s “Dookie,” The Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces” and Lily Tomlin’s comedy have been selected as some of the defining sounds of history and culture that will join the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today named 25 recordings as audio treasures worthy of…
    • Date: 2024-04-26
  • April 24, 2024  (24-037)
    Library of Congress Acquires Collection from the Kronos Quartet The Library of Congress has acquired the collection of manuscripts, instruments, costumes, video and audio recordings, and more from the San Francisco-based Kronos Quartet and its non-profit organization, Kronos Performing Arts Association. The quartet consists of David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola) and Paul Wiancko (cello). For 50 years, Kronos has challenged and reimagined what a string quartet can be. Founded…
    • Date: 2024-04-25
  • March 31, 2024  (24-026)
    Library Seeks Applicants for the 2024 Archives, History and Heritage Advanced Internship Program The Library of Congress is seeking applicants for its next Archives, History and Heritage Advanced Internship Program, which will run from Sept. 9 to Nov. 15. This 10-week, paid internship is open to currently enrolled undergraduate juniors and seniors, master’s and Ph.D. candidates from all majors or those who have graduated or will graduate between Dec. 1, 2023 and Aug. 31, 2024. The program…
    • Date: 2024-04-01

March 2024

  • March 24, 2024  (24-031)
    Library of Congress to Host Cast Members from Hit CBS Comedy "Ghosts" on April 9 The Library of Congress will host cast members from CBS’s hit comedy “Ghosts” on April 9. A special episode screening and a panel discussion with series stars Richie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Román Zaragoza and Rebecca Wisocky will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9 in the Coolidge Auditorium.Free tickets can be obtained at loc.gov/events. From 5 to 6 p.m., the…
    • Date: 2024-03-25
  • March 20, 2024  (24-A05)
    Advisory: Possible Federal Government Shutdown In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 23, all Library of Congress buildings will be CLOSED to the public and researchers.All public events will be cancelled. Also, all inquiries and requests to the Library of Congress web-based services will not be received or responded to until the shutdown ends. Information on loc.gov will not be…
    • Date: 2024-03-21
  • March 20, 2024  (24-028)
    Celebrate National Poetry Month and National Library Month during Live! at the Library in April Celebrate National Poetry Month during Live! at the Library on Thursday evenings throughout April. Ada Limón will visit Live! at the Library to talk about her new anthology "You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World” and kick-off of the Library’s annual Mary Oliver Memorial Event. The event will feature an introduction by Limón, readings by poets Molly McCully Brown, Jake Skeets, Analicia Sotelo…
    • Date: 2024-03-21
  • March 17, 2024  (24-A04)
    Jefferson Building Access March 19 On Tuesday, March 19, a special event in the Great Hall will reduce access in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. 2 p.m. – last entry for visitors with timed-entry or walk-up passes5 p.m. - all Jefferson Building reading rooms will close and researchers must exitResearchers may access the Jefferson Building reading rooms via the Jefferson Building West Basement (Carriage) doors,…
    • Date: 2024-03-18
  • March 12, 2024  (24-021)
    Library of Congress Awards Third Round of More than $500,000 to Support Contemporary Cultural Field Research within Diverse Communities Library of Congress Awards Third Round of More than $500,000 to Support Contemporary Cultural Field Research within Diverse CommunitiesThe Library of Congress American Folklife Center is pleased to announce the 2024 recipient cohort of the Community Collections Grant program. This series of grants, part of the Of the People: Widening the Path initiative, is awarded to individuals and organizations working to document cultures and…
    • Date: 2024-03-13
  • March 10, 2024  (24-027)
    Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Papers Open for Research at the Library of Congress A major portion of the papers of Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, consisting of approximately 600 containers, opens for research use March 11, in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. The collection documents the trajectory of O’Connor’s life in politics and law at the state level in Arizona and later nationally, as the Supreme Court’s first woman justice. Appointed to…
    • Date: 2024-03-11
  • March 6, 2024  (24-A03)
    Jefferson Building Access March 7 On Thursday, March 7, due to security preparations for the State of the Union, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building will close to visitors at 1:30 p.m. There is no impact to James Madison Memorial or John Adams buildings.Researchers may access the Jefferson Building reading rooms as they will be open normal hours of service with regular access. Entry is via the Independence Avenue door…
    • Date: 2024-03-07
  • March 5, 2024  (24-025)
    U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón to Launch "You Are Here" with Anthology of Nature Poems, Poetry Installations in National Parks “You Are Here,” Ada Limón’s signature project as the nation’s 24th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, will launch during National Poetry Month in April with a celebration at the Library of Congress and will continue throughout the year with installations of poetry as public art in national parks across the country.“You Are Here” is comprised of two major initiatives, a new anthology of nature…
    • Date: 2024-03-06