News from the Library of Congress

November 2024

October 2024

  • October 24, 2024  (24-093)
    NPR’s ‘Book of the Day,’ ‘Wild Card’ and ‘Short Wave’ Podcasts Feature 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival NPR’s “Book of the Day,” “Wild Card” and “Short Wave” podcasts feature interviews with NPR journalists and national authors from this year’s Library of Congress National Book Festival held in August 2024. Current and upcoming episodes include recorded panels and interviews with NPR hosts Michel Martin, Rachel Martin, Emily Kwong, Regina Barber and authors Sandra Cisneros, James McBride, Rebecca Yarros, Joy Buolamwini, and Kyle…
    • Date: 2024-10-25
  • October 23, 2024  (24-091)
    Library Celebrates a New School Year, Hosting Two Albert Einstein Fellows The Library of Congress has announced it will host two Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows for the 2024-2025 school year. Fellows will work closely with the Library’s Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office and Informal Learning Office to make primary sources from the Library’s collections more accessible and useful for educators in science, technology, engineering and math across the country.Jessica Fries-Gaither, an elementary science…
    • Date: 2024-10-24
  • October 16, 2024  (24-089)
    Library To Host Trivia Night During Live! At the Library in November Visitors are invited for a night of trivia during Live! At the Library on Nov. 7. Teams of up to five people will test their knowledge on an array of collection items that have been preserved by the world’s largest library.Trivia participants will be invited to view a display of collection items from across the Library’s various divisions with curators. The display will provide…
    • Date: 2024-10-17
  • October 15, 2024  (24-090)
    2025 Innovator in Residence Creates Digital Adventures from the Collections The Library of Congress has appointed Seattle-based artist and developer Vivian Li as 2025 Innovator in Residence. With her project, “Anywhere Adventures,” Li will create a website experience for audiences in selected U.S. cities to learn about their hometowns through items from the Library’s digital collections. Through her popular social media series about the Seattle Fremont Bridge in 2023, Li found others who shared…
    • Date: 2024-10-16
  • October 14, 2024  (24-088)
    Librarian of Congress Names New Inspector General Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today, the appointment of Kimberly Figel Benoit as the inspector general for the Library of Congress. Formerly the assistant inspector general for audits of NASA, Benoit’s more than 20-year career comprises a broad professional portfolio spanning both the public and private sectors. Benoit has extensive federal audit and investigative experience in both the executive and legislative branches."It gives…
    • Date: 2024-10-15
  • October 2, 2024  (24-A10)
    Library Open for Federal Holiday Oct. 14 The Library of Congress will be open to visitors with timed-entry passes on the federal Columbus Day holiday, Monday, October 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including public spaces in the Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions.In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the Library's magnificent Main Reading Room — a rare opportunity to go inside one of Washington’s most beautiful…
    • Date: 2024-10-03

September 2024

  • September 25, 2024  (24-084)
    Library Announces Grant Awards to Enhance Teaching with Primary Sources The Library of Congress Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office, under the Center for Learning Literacy and Engagement, has awarded Teaching with Primary Sources grants to 23 first-time and 19 continuing grantee organizations located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The current grants awarded in September provide one year of funding, with the possibility of two additional one-year grants, contingent upon successful delivery of…
    • Date: 2024-09-26
  • September 24, 2024  (24-085)
    Library of Congress Announces New Members of Copyright Public Modernization Committee The Library of Congress announced today the new membership of the Copyright Public Modernization Committee, which has been renewed for a second three-year term. The Copyright Public Modernization Committee was established to enhance communication with stakeholders and provide a public forum for the technology-related aspects of U.S. Copyright Office modernization. The first Copyright Public Modernization Committee meeting of the new term will be hosted…
    • Date: 2024-09-25
  • September 24, 2024  (24-086)
    NAACP Legal Defense Fund Records Newly Digitized and Now Available Online from the Library of Congress A major portion of the processed records of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund are now available online for the first time from the Library of Congress. Spanning the years 1915-1968, with most dating from 1940 to 1960, these records document the organization’s work as it combated racial discrimination in the nation’s courts, establishing in the process a public interest legal practice that…
    • Date: 2024-09-25
  • September 18, 2024  (24-083)
    Celebrate Comedy Night During Live! At The Library in October Visitors are invited to celebrate Comedy Night at the Library of Congress during Live! At the Library on Oct. 17. Join comedians Maria Bamford and Gary Gulman for a discussion on their latest books. Other activities will include a comedy challenge, in which participants can perform jokes and book humor. Enjoy a special performance by DC Improv, featuring eight polished punsters who each will…
    • Date: 2024-09-19
  • September 16, 2024  (24-079)
    Library of Congress Launches Inaugural “Our Constitution” Podcast In celebration of Constitution Day and the five-year anniversary of the Library of Congress website, the Constitution Annotated online, the Library of Congress is launching “Our Constitution,” a monthly podcast series that introduces listeners to the foundational legal document of the United States and how the nation’s charter has been interpreted over time. The U.S. Constitution establishes the federal government’s framework, its relationship to…
    • Date: 2024-09-17
  • September 11, 2024  (24-080)
    Library of Congress to Hold Webinar on Forecasting the Potential Arrivals of the Next Respiratory Diseases This Winter The Library of Congress Health Service Division and Science, Technology and Business Division will host a webinar on Thursday, Sept. 19, where leading figures in epidemiology and disease forecasting will offer their predictions and strategies for managing respiratory diseases this winter. This event will provide healthcare professionals, public health officials, and the general public strategies to prepare for potential respiratory disease outbreaks.What: Webinar: Forecasting…
    • Date: 2024-09-12
  • September 11, 2024  (24-081)
    Sixth Annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film Awarded to “Cartooning America” The Library of Congress, The Better Angels Society, Ken Burns, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced the winner of the sixth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film: “Cartooning America.” The director Asaf Galay will be awarded a $200,000 cash prize for the multi-part film about the Fleischer Brothers, a family of animators who created innovative techniques that transformed the…
    • Date: 2024-09-12
  • September 10, 2024  (24-078)
    Library of Congress Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Jazz Legend Eddie Palmieri, Poetry Readings and a “Cartonero” Book Workshop The Library of Congress joins National Hispanic Heritage Month with a special presentation by legendary Latin jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri, readings by renowned Latino poets, a “cartonero” or handmade book workshop, and 50 audio recordings added to the Library’s historic PALABRA Archive. The monthlong celebration from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 honors the culture, history and contributions of the thriving Hispanic community to the…
    • Date: 2024-09-11
  • September 9, 2024  (24-077)
    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 27th annual awards for federal librarianship.For nomination materials, visit the “awards” section of the program’s website or email [email protected]. The nomination…
    • Date: 2024-09-10
  • September 8, 2024  (24-072)
    Library of Congress Announces 2024 Literacy Awards Including Two Inaugural Prizes The Library of Congress Literacy Awards program, sponsored by David M. Rubenstein since 2013, and also by the Kislak Family Foundation since 2023, honors promising initiatives that provide exemplary, innovative and replicable strategies that promote literacy. Twenty-four organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading were awarded the 2024 Library of Congress Literacy Awards Sept. 8 on International Literacy Day. This year’s awards include…
    • Date: 2024-09-09
  • September 3, 2024  (24-074)
    Aramont Charitable Foundation Gives $1 Million to Fund New Education Specialist for Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections The Aramont Charitable Foundation has awarded a $1 million gift to the Library of Congress to support a new education outreach specialist to enhance the Rare Book & Special Collections Division’s outreach and programming through 2029, the Library announced today.The gift follows a $1 million endowment established by the Aramont Charitable Foundation at the Library of Congress for public programming surrounding the donation of…
    • Date: 2024-09-04
  • September 3, 2024  (24-075)
    Footage from Jerry Lewis’ Film ‘The Day the Clown Cried’ Opens for Research at Library of Congress For the first time, the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center at the Library of Congress is making material from Jerry Lewis’ unfinished Holocaust film “The Day the Clown Cried” available for research use. The Library holds a portion of pre-print material from the film, however, the Library does not hold the complete film.Lewis rewrote, directed and starred in the film as a German circus clown…
    • Date: 2024-09-04
  • September 2, 2024  (24-076)
    Librarian of Congress Appoints Karen E. Donfried as New Director of the Congressional Research Service Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that she has appointed Karen Donfried as director of the Congressional Research Service, effective Sept. 23, 2024. A noted foreign policy expert, Donfried brings more than three decades of experience leading foreign policymaking, analysis and research with the U.S. Department of State, the German Marshall Fund, and the Congressional Research Service.“It gives me great pleasure to announce…
    • Date: 2024-09-03

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  (24-055)
    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: 2024-08-22
  • 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 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 Madison…
    • 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