The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader have announced that Jason Reynolds’s term as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature will be extended to include a third year — for the first time in the history of the program.

In 2022, Reynolds will meet in person with students in rural communities to continue his work of encouraging young people to share their own narratives. In addition, Reynolds will create an archive of student voices, encouraging students to share their creations via his GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story platform.

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Individuals and educational and cultural institutions who seek to amplify the stories of communities of color are invited to apply to new grant opportunities through the Of the People: Widening the Path Connecting Communities Digital Initiative at the Library of Congress.

The funding opportunities announced today include a program for an artist or scholar in residence, a higher education grant and a library, archives, and museums grant. The award amounts range from $50,000 to $150,000. 

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Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has appointed Judith Conklin as the chief information officer of the Library of Congress and John Rutledge the deputy chief information officer. The two executives will serve as the Library’s senior information technology experts, ensuring technology operations are aligned with the Library’s strategic plan. Conklin will also serve as the primary adviser to the Librarian of Congress on all technology matters and as a voting member on the Library’s Executive Committee. 

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The 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival will include an extraordinary lineup of authors for children, teens and kids of all ages – all featured in videos on demand accessible from the start of the festival, which runs Sept. 17-26. Five children’s authors and five teen authors will also participate in live, online Q&A events Sept. 25 and 26. 

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The Library of Congress has announced a full lineup of events for the fall series of the 2021-2022 “Concerts from the Library of Congress” season. The virtual events will be complemented by conversations, lectures, curator talks and educational programs that reflect the diversity of the nation’s musical heritage.

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Nine experts in technology, cultural memory, libraries and archives have signed on to serve as the advisory board for the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative, a key component of the new initiative Of the People: Widening the Path at the Library of Congress. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this initiative aims to connect the Library more deeply with Black, Indigenous and other communities of color traditionally underrepresented in the United States.

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Three organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2021 Library of Congress Literacy Awards, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today. Top prizes are being awarded to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the Parents as Teachers National Center and the Luminos Fund.

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The Washington Post and the Library of Congress today announced a collaboration to host two National Book Festival programs on Washington Post Live to kick off the festival on Sept. 17. The festival runs through Sept. 26.

Friday, Sept. 17 11 a.m. ET: Michael J. Fox, actor, philanthropist and author of “No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality,” in conversation with Post opinion writer Jonathan Capehart. 

Friday, Sept. 17 11:25 a.m. ET: U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, author of “Poet Warrior: A Memoir,” in conversation with Post opinion writer Jonathan Capehart. 

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NPR and the Library of Congress are proud to announce a collaboration between the National Book Festival and several of NPR’s most popular podcasts. NPR journalists always interview authors at the Festival and will continue to do so, but this year for the first time, there will be an interview series with National Book Festival authors publishing across NPR’s podcast feeds as part of the Festival.

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The Library of Congress announced today its third release of records in its online catalog for free bulk download for research and discovery. The release supports the Library’s effort to continuously expand open access to its vast collections.

This MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging Records) release surpasses previous releases and adds more than 200,000 new records to the existing 25 million record database.

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The Library of Congress has appointed Suzanne Schadl as the chief of the Latin American, Caribbean and European Division. Schadl brings more than 25 years of experience as a scholar, educator, and librarian in library leadership and international studies.

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The Library of Congress and Harvard Law School have initiated an unprecedented, multifaceted joint collaboration to identify, select and assess the copyright status of materials focusing on national legal gazettes.

The effort, initially set for three years, will coordinate access to, knowledge-sharing, and legal analysis of Library of Congress’ collections related to Islamic law, including national legal gazettes, manuscripts and other materials.

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The 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival will feature more than 100 authors, poets and writers in a range of formats — all celebrating the festival theme, “Open a Book, Open the World.” The 2021 virtual festival programs will roll out over 10 days in an extended schedule Sept. 17-26.

The kickoff day will include a virtual Live Conversation with LeVar Burton, the actor and literacy advocate who is host of the television special “Open a Book, Open the World: The Library of Congress National Book Festival” on PBS. Burton will join Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to discuss the power of reading, story and connection on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. ET.

The schedule of programs is now available on loc.gov/bookfest. 

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Television viewers can see an inspiring introduction to the 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival and its exciting lineup of authors, poets and writers in a one-hour special this September on PBS.

“Open a Book, Open the World: The Library of Congress National Book Festival,” hosted by LeVar Burton, will premiere Sunday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video app. The program will offer a timely celebration of the power of books and discussions on some of the big topics of the day.

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Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced three top leadership appointments that together bring decades of experience in the field of library advocacy, services, management, and planning.

Jason Broughton will serve as Director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Aslihan Bulut has been appointed as Law Librarian of Congress, and Robin Dale has been named Deputy Librarian for Library Collections and Services.

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On Thursday, Sept. 2, the Library of Congress will host a virtual public forum to provide an update on the latest enhancements to Congress.gov and to gather feedback about the site, which serves as the official, authoritative source for federal legislative information.

The virtual public forum is free and open to the public, and will take place from 1 – 4 pm ET on Thursday, Sept. 2. You can register here to participate.  

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Students, educators and learners of all ages are invited to interact with select items in the Library’s collections with the launch of Speculative Annotation, the latest experiment from LC Labs. Created by artist and 2021 Innovator in Residence Courtney McClellan, Speculative Annotation is an open-source dynamic web application and public art project.

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The Library of Congress is offering a new series of grants to individuals and organizations working to document cultures and traditions of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color traditionally underrepresented in the United States.

The Community Collections grants from the Library’s American Folklife Center will enable many to document their cultural life and experiences from their own perspectives, while enriching the Library’s holdings with diverse materials featuring creativity and knowledge found at the local level. The funding opportunities were announced today and are open for applications through Sept. 7.

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Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter today announced that Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has appointed David Carson, Monica P. McCabe and Brad Newberg as the first copyright claims officers on the newly established Copyright Claims Board.  

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The Library of Congress announced today that U.S. congressional records dating back to the days of printing presses and the telegraph are now easily accessible on mobile devices. With this latest update of Congress.gov — the official website for U.S. federal legislative information — the Library has transitioned over 33,000 bills and resolutions crafted by Congress between 1799 and 1873 (the 6^th to 42^nd U.S. Congresses) to a modern, user-friendly web format.

The Library’s “A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation” collection has been a premier source of historic legal documents since it was first published online in 1998, serving as an access point to the lawmaking of early America.

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Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that the 2021 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will be awarded to Joy Williams, who is receiving the prize for a lifetime of outstanding work.

Hayden selected Williams as this year’s winner based on nominations from more than 60 distinguished literary figures, including former winners of the prize, acclaimed authors and literary critics from around the world. The prize ceremony will take place online during the 2021 National Book Festival, Sept. 17-26.

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The Library of Congress will re-open its doors to visitors with free but limited timed and ticketed entry three days a week, starting on Thursday, July 15. Guests will be able to explore the spectacular Thomas Jefferson building and several exhibits. The Library will also host its Summer Movies on the Lawn series on Thursday nights, starting July 8 and running through Aug. 5.

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The Library of Congress announced today the membership of the new Copyright Public Modernization Committee (CPMC), which is being convened to enhance communication and provide a public forum for the technology-related aspects of the U.S. Copyright Office’s modernization initiative.  The first CPMC meeting will be hosted by the Library on July 22, 2021.

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The Library of Congress will host its fourth annual “LOC Summer Movies on the Lawn” outdoor film festival this summer, starting on July 8. The series of five movies, which showcases iconic films from the Library’s National Film Registry, will be presented on Thursday evenings at sundown between July 8 and Aug. 5 on the north lawn of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, across the street from the U.S. Capitol.

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