Challenges to the Comics Code Authority and a Glimpse into the Library's Comic Arts Collection

Join us for a presentation featuring Richard D. Deverell, the Library's Swann Foundation Fellow, 2019-2020, who will examine the history of censorship in postwar America, focusing on the Comics Code Authority and the regulation of comic books. He demonstrates how comic industry insiders worked to advocate for the cultural significance of their work by resisting censors or partnering with politicians for official validation. The session will also include an introduction by Martha Kennedy, curator of Popular & Applied Graphic Art in the Prints and Photographs Division, to the Library’s comic arts digital collections.

Brought to you by the Library’s Learning and Innovation Office and the Library’s Prints & Photographs Division in collaboration with the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 3.04MB)

Explore Materials from the Library’s Hispanic Division and Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

Discover the rich Luso-Hispanic collections at the Library of Congress! Join Catalina Gómez and Talía Guzmán-González, reference librarians from the Hispanic Division to learn about resources and services related to our unique collection on materials about and from the Caribbean, Latin America, Portugal, Spain, and Latinx communities. We will share multilingual resources available online to support teaching and learning and will provide ideas on how you can incorporate some of our primary resources in your classes.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 3.39MB)

A Guide to What’s New in the TPS Consortium and the TPS Teachers Network

Join us to learn more about the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) consortium, a national network of educational organization partners, and their current offerings to support educators in the online teaching environment. We’ll also provide an introduction and demonstration of the TPS Teachers Network, an interactive online forum for educators to connect, and share tips, techniques, and resources related to using primary sources with students.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 5.75MB)

Junior Fellows Share Their Final Project and Reflect on Summer 2020

What a summer it has been! Join Keely Shaw and Liza Whitfield, this summer’s Junior Fellows in the Learning and Innovation Office, as they present their project related to American nursing during the interwar era. They’ll also share some reflections on their research and the experience of being virtual interns at the Library of Congress.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 1.25MB)

Using the Library of Congress Ragtime Collection and Other Digital Music Resources in Your Classroom

Join music reference specialist James Wintle for an overview of digital collections from the Music Division at the Library of Congress. The session includes a deeper dive into the "Ragtime" collection to explore ways in which primary source documents in music can enhance classroom teaching in a variety of subject areas. Spoiler alert: You can't read rhythms without math!

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 6.13MB)

An Introduction to Preservation Research and Testing at the Library of Congress

Join specialists from the Library's Preservation Research and Testing Division (PRTD), to see examples from the Library's collections that reveal how scientific methods can uncover previously unknown details of history. The presenters will focus on applications of the multispectral imaging technique, the importance of preserving and understanding the original material of the collections, and will also discuss some approaches to preserving the broader collections of the Library of Congress.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 4.16MB)

STEM Primary Sources in the Manuscript Division

Historical specialists Michelle Krowl and Josh Levy introduce participants to several primary source documents in Manuscript Division collections that can be incorporated into STEM lesson plans, and discuss sometimes unexpected ways personal papers lend themselves to STEM education.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 7.87MB)

The Omar Ibn Said Collection at the Library of Congress

In this session, we’ll explore the Omar Ibn Said collection, which, among 42 items, includes the rare autobiography of Omar Ibn Said, a Muslim scholar who was captured in West Africa, sold into slavery in South Carolina, and ultimately, wrote his autobiography in Arabic in 1831, while enslaved. Laverne Page, an African Studies specialist in the Library’s African and Middle Eastern Division, will discuss the significance of the collection and will offer some insight and context about West Africa during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. We will also suggest search strategies, ideas for how the collection might be used, and resources for further research.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 3.08MB)

An Introduction to the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled

In this session, Gabrielle Barnes, a writer-editor at the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), will provide an introduction to the NLS free braille and talking-book program, share resources for people with disabilities, and answer your questions.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 1.79MB)

20th-Century Political Cartoons at the Library of Congress

Join curator Sara W. Duke of the Prints & Photographs Division, to learn how to access the Library’s online collection of 20th-century political cartoons. She will also discuss strategies for exploring the work of Herbert L. Block, the editorial cartoonist known as a Herblock, who, during the course of his 72-year career, drew his opinion on events such as the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, gun control, and global warming.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 4.95MB)

Year-in-Review with the Library's Teacher-in-Residence and Albert Einstein Fellow

Come join the Library’s Teacher-in-Residence and Albert Einstein Fellow, as they reflect on their year at the Library of Congress. We’ll discuss their “aha moments,” favorite items and collections, lessons learned, and advice they have for other educators out there.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 8.71MB)

The Person Behind the Job: The Occupational Folklife Project at the Library of Congress

Join the staff of the Library’s American Folklife Center (AFC) to explore the online resource, the Occupational Folklife Project. Over the past decade, folklorists and oral historians throughout America have been working closely with the AFC to document more than a thousand contemporary workers talking about their jobs. Electricians, circus performers, health care providers, and gold miners are among those who explain how they learned their trades, what they do at work, and what they like and don’t like about their jobs. We’ll demonstrate how you can explore these engaging interviews, and share strategies for how you might use them with your students.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 1.74MB)

The U.S., World War I, and Spreading Influenza in 1918

“The war was over there. The epidemic was over here.” From influenza outbreaks in crowded military camps stateside to ship convoys carrying infected troops and Red Cross personnel overseas, World War I contributed to the spread of the worst modern pandemic in global history. Join us for a conversation with a Library of Congress historian. We’ll trace the steps of Red Cross volunteer Dorothy Kitchen O’Neill and explore items from the Library’s exhibition “Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I.” We’ll also examine how the war spread the disease more broadly and affected the war’s outcome, including Woodrow Wilson’s negotiation of the famed Treaty of Versailles.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 922KB)

Using Congress.gov to Explore the Bill-Making Process

Join us to explore how content and tools on Congress.gov can help students learn about and engage with the legislative branch and the bill-making process. The Library's Teacher-in-Residence (and high school Civics educator), Jen Reidel, will offer strategies for navigating and searching the site, highlight site features, and share ideas for using the resource in the classroom.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 2.81MB)

Mathematics and Primary Sources

How can analyzing primary sources through a mathematics lens help students gain insights into the evolution of the U.S. Postal System? Thomas Jefferson’s plan to send secret messages to Lewis and Clark? Rosa Parks’ culinary tastes? Come join a conversation where we’ll look at how students can apply a mathematical approach to the analysis of primary sources, both sharpening their math skills and unlocking fresh insights into a variety of other disciplines.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 2.65MB)

Introduction to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB)

Join us to discover audiovisual primary and secondary sources featured in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB). AAPB is a joint effort between the Library of Congress and WGBH, created to digitally preserve and provide access to public radio and television programs from the past 70+ years. The Library’s Project Director for AAPB and the AAPB Engagement and Use Manager will share resources to support your teaching of topics such as the Civil Rights Movement, women’s suffrage, and local history, and will answer your questions!

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 1.43MB)

Free Historical Children’s Books at the Library of Congress

Gain new insights into teaching and learning by exploring this unique online collection of historically significant children’s books published more than 100 years ago. Enjoy a conversation between an education expert and a cataloger of rare American children’s books, Jackie Coleburn. Discover classic works, lesser-known treasures, poems, illustrations, and more.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 2.85MB)

Exploring the History of the Library of Congress through Primary Sources

You may be familiar with the buildings of the Library of Congress, or have explored the history of the Library, but how much do you know about the actual construction of the buildings? Or how the Library operated during pivotal historical moments? In this session, a history specialist, researcher, and expert in the Archives of the Library of Congress will share and discuss a selection of historical primary sources (letters, photographs, and more) that help tell the story of this national institution.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 950KB)

Diving into Digitized Manuscript Collections on LOC.gov

Unsure how to make use of the digitized manuscript collections on LOC.gov? Discover ways to navigate and search the online collections. Plus learn about resources such as finding aids and indexes that can help you make effective use of these resources.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 4.27MB)

Veterans History Project for Educators

The Veterans History Project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Learn more about how to get students involved with the project.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 4.3MB)

Law Day

Join us in recognition of Law Day (May 1st) to discuss how Library of Congress resources can effectively support law related education. Learn what the Law Library has to offer and hear resource tips to use in the classroom from the Library's Civics Teacher in Residence, Jen Reidel.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 3.51MB)

Tour the Jefferson Building from Home

You're invited to our workplace! We're opening the virtual doors to the Library of Congress. Join us for a tour of the iconic Jefferson Building and learn about how we use it as a primary source.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 10.27MB)

Crowdsourcing the Library of Congress

Join us to hear about virtual volunteering and learning opportunities for students through the Library's By the People crowdsourcing project (crowd.loc.gov). We'll demonstrate site functionality and focus on how it can be used in classrooms (virtual and in-person) to build students' confidence with reading handwriting, parsing primary sources, and analyzing historical context.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 1.8MB)

Primary Sources for Science Classrooms

Learn more about teaching science and technology using the Library's robust collections. Hear from the Library's Albert Einstein Teaching Fellow, Amara Alexander, about her experiences creating teaching resources using Library of Congress primary sources.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 5.2MB)

LOC 201 – Finding Resources

Searching the Library's website can be challenging. During Office Hours the Ask A Librarian reference specialist for the Library's Teachers page will provide suggestions on how to make searching a more productive experience. Also, the Library of Congress Teacher-in-Residence will talk about strategies she learned that made her a more effective searcher.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 2.55MB)

Baseball Resources

Explore cultural norms and society's values through the lens of baseball, the quintessential American recreational activity. Enjoy a conversation between an education expert and the author of Baseball Americana, Susan Reyburn. Discover primary source songs, baseball cards, letters, speeches, and more.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 3.3MB)

Chronicling America – Plenty to Research in Historic Newspapers

Join Library of Congress education and newspaper experts to learn about the digitized historic newspapers available through the Chronicling America program. Contribute teaching strategies for using the materials with students.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 2.44MB)

Local History Resources

Help students explore the history that happened just outside their front door. Learn about resources that can help students learn about their communities and connections to national and international events.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 3.99MB)

Celebrating Poetry Month

Join us for a special conversation on poetry resources to kick off our celebration of National Poetry Month. Rebecca Newland, former Teacher in Residence and Peter Armenti, literature specialist at the Library, will talk all things LOC poetry and literature.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 388KB)

April Fool's Day Resources

Most people think of the Library of Congress as a serious, scholarly place. On March 31, we'll show you the funnier side of the Library's collections as we provide information on April Fools resources, historic hoaxes and primary sources that might play tricks on you.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 4.98MB)

The Spanish flu of 1918

Discover Library of Congress resources on the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918. Highlights to include an introduction to two collections – Historical Newspapers and Prints and Photographs.

• Watch the Recording
• Session Materials (PDF, 6.38MB)