A major gift by Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation in Los Angeles will support the effort to reimagine the visitor experience at the Library of Congress. The foundation also announced that it is donating 1,000 photographic prints by about 250 contemporary photographers from its Annenberg Space for Photography exhibitions to the national library’s collections.

Click here for more information.

Friends,

What an eventful summer this has been. I hope that you are staying well as we begin another month in a most unusual year.

As August begins, all Library of Congress buildings and facilities remain closed to the public until further notice. You can continue to check the latest information regarding our COVID-19 response at this website.

Even so, the work of the Library continues, as we bring more public programming online, continue the work of digitizing more collections to make them available outside of the Library’s walls, and explore new ways to celebrate milestones in the history of the Library and of this nation virtually.

In that spirit, we will host our signature event, the annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, virtually this year. I hope you will join us to celebrate “American Ingenuity” with more than 120 renowned writers, poets and artists in an interactive, online experience for this 20th year of the festival. Save the date! It will take place September 25-27.

Today, we are also virtually celebrating the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Copyright Office with an event at noon ET. Make sure you register now for this free event.

August also marks 100 years since the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. Our current exhibition “Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote” is available online and is an excellent resource to discover more about the long fight for women’s suffrage. We are also joining forces with the Smithsonian and National Archives to present the #19SuffrageStories social media campaign and shed light on the stories of suffragists, including women of color, who have traditionally been overlooked.

Read more about these events, the campaign, and a few new online collections below.

Sincerely,
Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

TODAY: Copyright Office Presents: 150 Years of Celebrating Creativity

On July 8, 2020, the U.S. Copyright Office of the Library of Congress turned 150 years old. Copyright Office history reflects the United States’ creative and technical innovations, important judicial rulings, and diplomatic treaties.

Today, August 4 at noon ET join the online event, “Copyright Office Presents: 150 Years of Celebrating Creativity” to hear from three engaging Copyright Office experts, and to explore how the role of the Office and its operations changed along with the law itself.

This online event is free, but registration is required: copyright.gov/events/

#19SuffrageStories

Women fought long and hard for the vote—before and after the passage of the 19th Amendment, which declares the right to vote “shall not be denied … on account of sex.” Diverse communities and organizations blazed the trail for equal voting rights across the nation. For many women, especially women of color, the fight didn’t end when the 19th Amendment went into effect on August 26, 1920. Yet the stories of these suffragists have often been overlooked.

Tune in on Instagram and Twitter to learn 19 stories you may not know from the Library of Congress, Smithsonian and National Archives. Every weekday from August 3 through Women’s Equality Day, August 26, we’re counting down from 19 to 1 with a new story each day on our Instagram and Twitter feeds.

Learn More: blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/08/counting-down-with-19suffrage-stories-100th-anniversary-of-the-19th-amendment/

The Library of Congress National Book Festival is Going Virtual – Save the Date!

The 20th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held online Sept. 25-27. The festival will connect with audiences across the country for an interactive, online celebration of “American Ingenuity” featuring new books by more than 120 of the nation’s most-renowned writers, poets and artists.

Virtual stages will offer on-demand videos, live author chats and discussions, options to personalize your own journey through the festival with particular themes, and book buying possibilities through the festival’s official bookseller, Politics & Prose, with a limited number of commemorative book plates signed by authors.

Check out the full author lineup and download the new festival poster today!

Festival website: loc.gov/bookfest

Latest festival press release: loc.gov/item/prn-20-048/

Historic Public Affairs Series "Black Journal" Now Available Online

A collection of episodes from “Black Journal,” the first nationally televised public affairs program produced for, about, and by Black Americans has been released by The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB), a collaboration between WGBH and the Library of Congress. Largely unseen since they aired between 1968 and 1977, the 59 episodes have been digitized from archival tape in the Library’s collection and are now available to stream for free online. Accompanying the “Black Journal” episodes is a collection of essays that explore the public television programs that put Black issues and Black perspectives at the forefront in the wake of the civil rights movement.

Read the announcement: loc.gov/item/prn-20-047/

William Howard Taft Papers Collection Now Available Online

The papers of William Howard Taft (1857-1930), twenty-seventh president of the United States and tenth chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, consist of approximately 676,000 documents (785,977 images), which have been digitized from 658 reels of previously reproduced microfilm. Held in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, these papers constitute the largest collection of original Taft documents in the world. The collection contains family papers, personal and official correspondence, presidential and judicial files, speeches and addresses, legal files and notebooks, business and estate papers, engagement calendars, guest lists, scrapbooks, clippings, printed matter, memorabilia, and photographs dating from 1784 to 1973, with the bulk of the material dated 1880-1930.

View collection: loc.gov/collections/william-howard-taft-papers/about-this-collection/

Support the Library

We are more grateful than ever for all that you do to keep us strong. Whether you support the Library with a gift or simply by spreading the word about what we do, you help us in our mission to connect millions of people around the world with the stories of our collective past, present, and future.

If you haven't yet had a chance to give and you're in a position to donate, please consider making a gift at loc.gov/donate/.

The Smithsonian, Library of Congress and the National Archives have launched #19SuffrageStories, a 19-day social media campaign that will share stories about the long fight for women’s voting rights in the U.S.

Every weekday from Aug. 3­ to Aug. 26, the three institutions will share one of 19 stories related to women’s suffrage, counting down to Women’s Equality Day Aug. 26. The institutions have also released a set of social media stickers and GIFs to encourage the public to join the conversation.

The public is invited to follow the countdown on social media and on the web:

• Using the hashtag #19SuffrageStories
• Following the Smithsonian on @Smithsonian Instagram and Twitter
• Following the Library of Congress @LibraryCongress on Instagram and Twitter
• Following the National Archives @USNatArchives on Instagram and Twitter
• Visiting Womenshistory.si.edu

Click here for more information.

The Library of Congress has appointed Lanisa Kitchiner as chief of the African and Middle Eastern Division. Kitchiner brings more than 18 years’ experience as an administrator of cultural institutions and an academic mobilizing knowledge around Africa’s cultural and historical ties to the Middle East.

Click here for more information.

The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival will connect with audiences across the country for an interactive, online celebration of “American Ingenuity” for the festival’s 20th year, featuring new books by more than 120 of the nation’s most-renowned writers, poets and artists. The festival will also showcase the many ways our national library embraces all subjects in its unparalleled collection.

During the weekend of Sept. 25-27, virtual stages at loc.gov/bookfest will offer on-demand videos, live author chats and discussions, options to personalize your own journey through the festival with particular themes, and book buying possibilities through the festival’s official bookseller, Politics & Prose, with a limited number of commemorative book plates signed by authors.

Click here for more information.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has announced that Colson Whitehead, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Nickel Boys” and “The Underground Railroad,” will receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction during the 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Sept. 25-27.

Click here for more information.

Friends,

I hope that you are doing well. As we enter into July, it is hard to believe the many changes and challenges we’ve had to face in our world in just the past few months. The upcoming July 4^th holiday is another reminder of the ways we’ve all had to adjust and rework communal celebrations and gatherings in the age of COVID-19.

Many of you have celebrated birthdays and graduations virtually, and have come up with creative ways to stay in touch with family and friends from a distance. The Library of Congress is no different, and we continue to adapt to stay connected with you even as our doors remain closed. This is especially important as we strive to offer a safe place to have difficult conversations about the challenges facing our nation today with regard to race, inequality and social justice.

To that end, below you will find information on some of our upcoming virtual events including today’s conversation with new Kluge Prize winner, Danielle Allen, who will take on the hard questions about democracy and public life. Our online series, “Hear You, Hear Me”: Conversations on Race in America, also continues this month.

You can also learn more about the major collections work we are undertaking to document the pandemic in an informative new blog post, “How Will We Remember COVID-19?”

And, as we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, it must be noted that the Library of Congress is home to the original rough draft of the Declaration of Independence. It is one of the institution’s top treasures. View it online here, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tr00.html, and discover other resources related to our nation’s independence below.

Have a safe holiday weekend.

Sincerely,
Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

[Detail] Currier & Ives print showing the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
loc.gov/resource/pga.08583/

Independence Day

American Treasures of the Library of Congress: Declaration of Independence
loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tr00.html

Declaration of Independence: Primary Documents in American History
guides.loc.gov/declaration-of-independence

American Revolution: A Resource Guide
guides.loc.gov/american-revolution

Thomas Jefferson Papers Collection
loc.gov/collections/thomas-jefferson-papers/about-this-collection/

TODAY: Kluge Prize Winner Danielle Allen

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced last week that Danielle Allen, director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, will receive the 2020 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity. Allen will work with the Library to share her expertise on justice, citizenship and democracy with a wide audience.

Today at 7 p.m. ET join Allen and Kluge Center Director John Haskell for a virtual event: “Danielle Allen Takes on the Hard Questions about Democracy and Public Life.” This presentation will premiere with closed captions on both the Library's Facebook page and the Library's YouTube site and be available afterwards on the Library's video page.

Kluge Prize Announcement: loc.gov/item/prn-20-043/

Homegrown at Home Concert Series

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is presenting traditional music and dance from a variety of folk cultures thriving in the United States and around the world in a new online concert series each Wednesday through September. Tune in to “Homegrown at Home” Wednesdays at noon ET on the American Folklife Center Facebook page, and replay performances anytime on the Library of Congress YouTube channel and on the Library's video page.

Series info & schedule: loc.gov/item/prn-20-045/

"Hear You, Hear Me": Conversations on Race in America

This online series continues featuring Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in conversation with some of the nation’s great literary figures, and will highlight what poetry and literature can offer the nation as it contends with foundational issues of social justice.

• Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith - Thursday, July 9, 2020, 7-8 p.m. ET
• Colson Whitehead - Thursday, July 16, 2020, 7-8 p.m. ET

Event details & videos: loc.gov/programs/national-book-festival/national-book-festival-presents/

[Detail] Life during the pandemic. Photo: Camilo Vergara. Prints and Photographs Division.

How Will We Remember COVID-19?

The Library is amassing a vast collection of materials that document the COVID-19 pandemic, including the award-winning photography of Camilo Vergara. These photographs are among the very first items the Library acquired documenting the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. And they will be far from the last: The Library anticipates a collecting effort that exceeds its coverage of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — which was huge.

Read the full blog post: blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/06/how-will-we-remember-covid-19/

Support the Library

We are more grateful than ever for all that you do to keep us strong. Whether you support the Library with a gift or simply by spreading the word about what we do, you help us in our mission to connect millions of people around the world with the stories of our collective past, present, and future.

If you haven't yet had a chance to give and you're in a position to donate, please consider making a gift at loc.gov/donate/.

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.

Click here for more information.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that Danielle Allen, director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, will receive the 2020 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity.

Allen will collaborate with the Library on an initiative she has designed, titled “Our Common Purpose—A Campaign for Civic Strength at the Library of Congress.” It will include programs to engage schools, universities, political leaders, and the American public in efforts to promote civic engagement. As Allen has said, “Civic education is our common purpose.”

Click here for more information.

Friends,

Today is Juneteenth, thought to be the longest running celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, notice of the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved people finally reached Texas through an order read aloud by Union General Gordon Grange in Galveston. The word arrived a whopping two and a half years late. Abraham Lincoln’s initial draft of the Emancipation Proclamation is among the treasures contained in the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress, and is viewable online here. www.loc.gov/exhibits/civil-war-in-america/december-1862-october-1863.html#obj4

In fact, the Library plays host to a wealth of resources and materials related to the emancipation holiday and its celebration throughout American history, as well to the practice of slavery itself and to the voices of formerly enslaved people. Below you will find a list of new blog posts from throughout the Library highlighting a few such resources, including audio recordings from our poignant collection, “Voices Remembering Slavery: Freed People Tell Their Stories.” Other materials are being shared on our social media accounts throughout the day.

This year’s Juneteenth celebrations have special significance and poignancy in today’s climate where issues of racial injustice are again at the forefront. Today at 4 p.m. ET, I am hosting a virtual conversation with current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds and former National Ambassador Jacqueline Woodson about ways to hear and support kids during a period of nationwide protest against injustice. This event is part of our new online series "Hear You, Hear Me: Conversations on Race in America," which you can also learn more about below. You can watch it on our Facebook page, our YouTube channel or on our main website at loc.gov. I hope to “see” you there.

Sincerely,
Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

Juneteenth-Related Posts from Across the Library's Blogs

The Birth of Juneteenth; Voices of the Enslaved
blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/06/the-birth-of-juneteenth-voices-of-the-enslaved/​

Ralph Ellison’s “Juneteenth"
blogs.loc.gov/catbird/2020/06/ralph-ellisons-juneteenth/​

Born in Slavery: Portraits and Narratives of Formerly Enslaved People
blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2020/06/born-in-slavery-portraits-and-narratives-of-formerly-enslaved-people/

Becky Elzy and Alberta Bradford: Spiritual Folklorists
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2018/02/becky-elzy-and-alberta-bradford-spiritual-folklorists/

When a Former Enslaved Person Debated a Former Confederate in the House of Representatives
blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/06/when-a-former-slave-debated-a-former-confederate-in-the-house-of-representatives/

“Hear You, Hear Me”: Conversations on Race in America

This new online series features Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in conversation with some of the nation’s great literary figures, and will highlight what poetry and literature can offer the nation as it contends with foundational issues of social justice.

• Jason Reynolds and Jacqueline Woodson: TODAY, June 19, 4-5 p.m. ET
• Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith: Thursday, July 9, 7-8 p.m. ET
• Colson Whitehead: Thursday, July 16, 7-8 p.m. ET

All of the conversations will be available for viewing after the launch.

Event details: blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/06/hear-you-hear-me-virtual-programs-feature-conversations-on-race-in-america/
Videos: loc.gov/programs/national-book-festival/national-book-festival-presents/

The Boccaccio Project: Concerts in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Watch as the Library premieres as series of 10 commissions of new music from composers across America in The Boccaccio Project, inspired by a similar literary effort in the mid-14th century by Giovanni Boccaccio.

Watch as each concert premieres nightly at 8 p.m.June 15-26, or watch the full series: 
loc.gov/concerts/boccaccio-project/

Latest LCM Commemorates the End of World War II

In the new issue of the Library of Congress Magazine, we commemorate the 75th anniversary of end of World War II and the service of the men and women who fought in that conflict.

Features include:

• a one-of-a-kind map, made by Japanese pilots that detailed the damage inflicted at Pearl Harbor
• Manuscript Division collections that preserve photos taken in the field by Gen. George S. Patton
• commentary by Pulitzer Prize-winner Rick Atkinson on a war whose consequences continue to unspool more than seven decades later

... and more. Download your copy today: loc.gov/lcm/

Save the Date! The 2020 National Book Festival is Going Virtual

The 20th Library of Congress National Book Festival will celebrate “American Ingenuity” in 2020, featuring the creativity and inspiration of some of the nation’s most gifted authors in a reimagined virtual festival the weekend of Sept. 25-27. The festival is part of the Library’s 220th anniversary year, and more details will be announced at a later date.

loc.gov/item/prn-20-039/

June Is LGBTQ Pride Month

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month and June 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of annual LGBTQ+ Pride traditions. The first Pride march in New York City was held on June 28, 1970 on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Primary sources available at the Library of Congress provide detailed information about how this first Pride march was planned, and the reasons why activists felt so strongly that it should exist.

loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/

Support the Library

We are more grateful than ever for all that you do to keep us strong. Whether you support the Library with a gift or simply by spreading the word about what we do, you help us in our mission to connect millions of people around the world with the stories of our collective past, present, and future.

If you haven't yet had a chance to give and you're in a position to donate, please consider making a gift at loc.gov/donate/.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that Joe Cappello has been selected to serve as the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) for the Library of Congress, effective immediately. Cappello has been the acting CHCO since January.

Click here for more information.

Friends,

Once again, America finds itself confronting difficult questions about race and inequality.

The struggle for freedom and equality dates back to our nation’s founding, and it is possible to find context and inspiration in the words of those who have fought for a more perfect union since the beginning.

But, libraries offer more than just historical context on today’s events. They offer safe spaces to have difficult conversations about the challenges facing our nation today. They are places of welcome and respite and community. They are collectors of the stories and experiences that have brought us to this place in our nation’s history and can inspire us to persevere in our efforts to pursue that more perfect union.

Last week, I hosted one such conversation with Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch to discuss the future of our cultural institutions and how we remain accessible and relevant during a period of global pandemic coupled with nationwide protests against injustice.

Lonnie Bunch reminded all of us that “there is hope in history.” So, I leave you with a quote of his from our conversation and invite you to watch it in its entirety at loc.gov/item/webcast-9194/.

"So there’s a kind of, hopefully, a tipping point where people come together and recognize that the past should give you some hope. If people could work together to found the NAACP or work together to end slavery then we can work together to begin to address this as well. So I find hope in history. Not always optimism, but I find hope in history.”

Below you will find links to information about the NAACP collection at the Library of Congress along with other examples of courage and hope that have transformed our nation.

Sincerely,
Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom

Originally mounted in 2009 and available online, this exhibition presents a retrospective of the major personalities, events, and achievements that shaped the NAACP’s history during its first 100 years.

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Since 1964, the Library of Congress has served as its official repository, and the NAACP Records now consist of more than five million items dating from 1909 to the present. The records encompass a wide variety of materials, including manuscripts, photographs, prints, pamphlets, broadsides, audiotapes, phonograph records, films, and video recordings. Every phase of the NAACP's many activities can be found in this rich and diverse collection.

The NAACP Records are the largest single collection ever acquired by the Library and annually the most heavily used. These records are the cornerstone of the Library’s unparalleled resources for the study of the twentieth-century civil rights movement in the U.S. that also include the original records of the National Urban League, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, as well as the microfilmed records of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). 

loc.gov/exhibits/naacp/overview.html

Civil Rights History Project

On May 12, 2009, the U. S. Congress authorized a national initiative by passing The Civil Rights History Project Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-19). The law directed the Library of Congress (LOC) and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) to conduct a national survey of existing oral history collections with relevance to the Civil Rights movement to obtain justice, freedom and equality for African Americans and to record and make widely accessible new interviews with people who participated in the struggle.

The activists interviewed for this project belong to a wide range of occupations and the video recordings of their recollections cover a wide range of topics within the freedom struggle, such as the influence of the labor movement, nonviolence and self-defense, religious faith, music, and the experiences of young activists. Actions and events discussed in the interviews include the Freedom Rides (1961), the Albany Movement (1961), the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963), the Selma to Montgomery Rights March (1965), the Orangeburg Massacre (1968), the Poor People’s Campaign (1968), sit-ins, and voter registration drives in the South. The murder of fourteen year old Emmett Till in 1955, a horrific event that galvanized many young people into joining the freedom movement, looms large in the memories of many movement veterans.

loc.gov/collections/civil-rights-history-project/about-this-collection/

Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words

Rosa Parks (1913–2005) is best known for her refusal to give up her seat to a white man on a crowded bus in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 1, 1955. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal event in the civil rights movement that ultimately led to the dismantling of Jim Crow segregation. Rosa Parks became an icon of the movement, celebrated for this single courageous act of civil disobedience, but she is often characterized by misconceptions. Contrary to popular belief, Parks was not a demure seamstress who chose not to stand because she was physically tired. Her calm demeanor hid a militant spirit forged over decades.

Exhibition: loc.gov/exhibitions/rosa-parks-in-her-own-words/about-this-exhibition/
Blog post - "A Protestor Who Changed America": blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/06/a-protester-who-changed-america-rosa-parks/

Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote

This exhibition tells the story of the seventy-two-year campaign for women’s suffrage. Considered the largest reform movement in American history, its participants believed that securing the vote was essential to achieving women’s economic, social, and political equality. For years, determined women organized, lobbied, paraded, petitioned, lectured, picketed, and faced imprisonment. Their collective story is one of courage, perseverance, savvy, creativity, and hope that continues to inspire activists today.

loc.gov/exhibitions/women-fight-for-the-vote/about-this-exhibition/

June Is LGBTQ Pride Month

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month and June 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of annual LGBTQ+ Pride traditions. The first Pride march in New York City was held on June 28, 1970 on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Primary sources available at the Library of Congress provide detailed information about how this first Pride march was planned, and the reasons why activists felt so strongly that it should exist.

loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/

Support the Library

We are more grateful than ever for all that you do to keep us strong. Whether you support the Library with a gift or simply by spreading the word about what we do, you help us in our mission to connect millions of people around the world with the stories of our collective past, present, and future.

If you haven't yet had a chance to give and you're in a position to donate, please consider making a gift at loc.gov/donate/.

The Library of Congress announced today that it will cancel all scheduled public events at the Library until Sept. 1 as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 coronavirus. Whenever possible, the Library will reschedule the public programs that have been canceled. We will also provide regular public updates on the operating status of Library facilities.

Click here for more information.

The Library of Congress today announced the appointment of 40 undergraduate and graduate students to its highly competitive Junior Fellows summer intern program. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this program will be conducted virtually.

This year’s Junior Fellows program, which runs from May 26 to July 31, includes 27 special projects across divisions of the Library of Congress. The program will expose the Junior Fellows to the breadth and depth of the work that takes place at the world’s largest library.

Click here for more information.

Friends,

I hope that you and your families remain well this month. On Monday, we will observe Memorial Day, honoring the service and sacrifices of members of our armed forces. Our nation is strong and it endures because of the men and women who give it their all in protecting and preserving our democracy.

Since 2000, the Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library has been committed to collecting, preserving and making accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans. And while many of the stories collected are from living veterans, there are thousands that were donated posthumously by family members looking to preserve the legacies of their loved ones. “Say Their Name. Learn Their Story” is a wonderful blog post highlighting the stories of individuals who have given their lives in service of our country, and who are memorialized in the VHP collections. Read more here: https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2019/05/say-their-name-learn-their-story/

The Library of Congress buildings remain closed to the public, with all public events currently canceled until further notice. Visit our web site for full, up-to-date information about our response to COVID-19. In the meantime, we invite you to continue to explore our content digitally through the resources listed below, and to connect with us on our social media channels.

Sincerely,
Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

Veterans History Project

Personal narratives, correspondence, and visual materials are collected and made available so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Learn more about this important project as well how to collect and submit veterans’ stories by visiting loc.gov/vets/.

Experiencing War: Stories from the Veterans History Project

On Friday, May 8, the Veterans History Project (VHP) commemorated the end of World War II in Europe, also known as V-E Day, by releasing a new installment of the VHP online exhibit, Experiencing War. In this new online feature, you can explore the personal stories of 15 World War II veterans and what the end of the war meant for them. 

loc.gov/item/prn-20-035/

#FolklifeArchiveChallenge

Although some cities and states are starting to open up a little, we have a feeling it will be a while before we’re going out to concerts, theaters, jams, or open mics to perform or enjoy live music and performing arts. At the Library of Congress, we have an amazing online archive of folk music and folklife which you can explore right from home, and we’d like to offer a suggestion: why not learn a song, tune, poem, or story from the archive, make a recording or video of yourself performing it, and post it online? Or make a work of art based on one of our photos, or write a story or poem based on our materials. We’d love to see what you come up with! Folks from all genres and creators of all art forms are invited to interpret a field recording, video, photo, or manuscript from the AFC Archive. You don’t need to be a professional in order to participate!

Learn more about the challenge and how to participate:
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2020/05/spending-a-lot-of-time-at-home-take-the-archive-challenge/

Suffrage History Webinar May 27

The Library’s Janice Ruth, curator of our Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote exhibition, will join curators from the National Archives and Records Administration and the Smithsonian’s National Portait Gallery for “Curator’s Cut: An Inside Look at DC’s Suffrage Exhibits.” This free webinar is being hosted by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.

Register here: https://bit.ly/2TjoWow

Virtual Concert May 28

The Library of Congress and Portland Ovations will present the International Contemporary Ensemble in the Library’s first interactive digital concert – “Aural Explorations: Farrin, Fure and Messiaen” – on Thursday, May 28, at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

The concert will feature the world premiere of the Library co-commissioned composition by Suzanne Farrin titled “Nacht,” capping a season-long celebration of women composers and performers honoring the centennial of women’s suffrage. The concert will also feature a world premiere of Ashley Fure’s “Interior Listening Protocol 1” paired with Olivier Messiaen’s “Louange à l'Éternité de Jésus” for ondes Martenot and Suzanne Farrin’s “Polvere et Ombra.”

loc.gov/item/prn-20-037/

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success. Visit this multi-institution web portal hosted by the Library of Congress for featured content and resources.

asianpacificheritage.gov/

Jewish American Heritage Month

May is Jewish American Heritage Month. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society. Visit this multi-institution web portal hosted by the Library of Congress for featured content and resources.

jewishheritagemonth.gov/

Support the Library

We are more grateful than ever for all that you do to keep us strong. Whether you support the Library with a gift or simply by spreading the word about what we do, you help us in our mission to connect millions of people around the world with the stories of our collective past, present, and future.

If you haven't yet had a chance to give and you're in a position to donate, please consider making a gift at loc.gov/donate/.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has appointed Joy Harjo to serve a second term as the nation’s 23^rd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2020-2021. During her second term, Harjo will launch a new Library of Congress collection and online map featuring Native poets and poetry.

Click here for more information.

The papers of Presidents Andrew Johnson, Chester Alan Arthur and William McKinley have been digitized and are now available online for the first time from the Library of Congress. These papers can be accessed both at the loc.gov website and on the new LOC Collections mobile app.

Click here for more information.

In 1800, as part of an act of Congress providing for the removal of the new national government from Philadelphia to Washington, President John Adams approved an act of Congress providing $5,000 for books for the use of Congress—the beginning of the Library of Congress.

Since that beginning 220 years ago, the Library has grown to become the largest library in the world with a collection of more than 170 million items that document human creativity and achievement across the centuries and around the globe.

Collecting and providing access to these collections takes on a new meaning and significance in our current world. With social distancing as the norm, and more time spent at home, we want to continue to highlight ways to connect with our content, our knowledgeable staff, and each other during these times. From April 24 to 30, you can celebrate the Library’s 220th birthday by participating in online programs from across the Library, reading themed posts on our blogs and social media channels, and downloading our brand new app to explore the Library’s digital collections from home.

The Library of Congress buildings remain closed to the public, with all public events currently canceled through July 1. Visit our web site for full, up-to-date information about our response to COVID-19. In the meantime, we invite you to our virtual birthday celebration and to continue to engage with us through some of the resources listed below. We look forward to continuing to serve you during this season and beyond.

Sincerely,
Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

SPECIAL 220th BIRTHDAY VIDEO EVENTS

Citizen DJ Premiere & Virtual Masterclass
Friday, April 24, 3 p.m. ET

Preview the new Citizen DJ app from Innovator-in-Residence Brian Foo, and discover how to make Hip Hop using the Library’s music collection. Presented by LC Labs.

America's Greatest Library: History of the Library of Congress
Saturday, April 25, 1 p.m. ET

Write. Right. Rite. A "Grab the Mic: Tell Your Story" video series with Jason Reynolds, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.
Tuesday, April 28, 10:30 a.m. ET

Awareness to Action: Innovate for a Green Future
Wednesday, April 29, 11 a.m. ET

Join the U.S. Copyright Office for their next Copyright Matters lecture that will explore how creators—who through the copyright system can earn a living from their work—can play a key role in creating a vision of a green future and its untold benefits. Registration required.

Social Movement Changing America: The Legacies of the 19th Amendment
Thursday, April 30, 3:30 p.m. ET

A Law Day 2020 event presented by the Law Library of Congress and the American Bar Association. Registration required, space is limited.

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic
Thursday, April 30, 7 p.m. ET

Prize-winning science writer David Quammen discusses his book "Spillover," in which he tracks the animal origins of human diseases through the centuries, with National Book Festival Co-Chairman David Rubenstein.

Discover more ways to engage with the Library during our birthday week and beyond:
https://www.loc.gov/engage/

Celebrate National Poetry Month with 50 Newly Available Audio Recordings

The Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature at the Library of Congress dates back to 1943 and contains nearly two thousand recordings of poets and prose writers participating in literary events at the Library’s Capitol Hill campus as well as sessions at the Library’s Recording Laboratory. New recordings added for 2020 include a 1978 reunion reading featuring 13 of our Consultants in Poetry, and Gwendolyn Brooks reading poems (including the iconic “We Real Cool”) in the Jefferson Recording Laboratory in 1961.

Visit the archive site.
Discover more on this blog post.

Try Activity Kits for the Whole Family

Encourage kids of all ages to use their creativity to complete activities inspired by the Library’s collections. With simple items found around the house and items from our website, kids can Cook Up History, Make a Mini-Book, Color Our Collections, and so much more. Visit the Resources for Family Engagement page to download activity kits and get started today.

https://www.loc.gov/families/

Join the Effort: By the People

We are grateful to all those who transcribe and review pages on the Library's virtual volunteering project By the People launched in 2018. As of the Library’s 220th birthday today, volunteers have transcribed over 125,000 pages from the papers of suffragists including Mary Church Terrell, Lucy Stone, and Susan B Anthony, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, poet Walt Whitman, President Abraham Lincoln, and many others. Once a whole item such as a journal or letter is complete, it is brought back to loc.gov where it radically improves search and discovery for patrons, and accessibility those who use screen readers.

https://crowd.loc.gov/

Preservation Week

National Preservation Week is April 26 – May 2. Preservation of the world's largest collection is accomplished through a broad range of activities distributed across the Library. Learn more about these preservation activities and the work to keep the collections available for the next 220 years and beyond.

https://www.loc.gov/preservation/

Coronavirus Updates from the Copyright Office

The Copyright Office has announced updated flexibility surrounding registration deposits and timing provisions for those affected by COVID-19 as outlined in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Visit the Copyright Office COVID-19 page for more info.

https://www.copyright.gov/coronavirus/

Support the Library

We are more grateful than ever for all that you do to keep us strong. Whether you support the Library with a gift or simply by spreading the word about what we do, you help us in our mission to connect millions of people around the world with the stories of our collective past, present, and future.

If you haven't yet had a chance to give and you're in a position to donate, please consider making a gift at loc.gov/donate/.

To celebrate the 220^th anniversary of its founding, the Library of Congress today announced the release of the LOC Collections app, the premiere mobile app that puts the national library’s digital collections in the hands of users everywhere.

In addition to providing an easy, accessible way to search and explore the Library’s growing digital collections, LOC Collections allows users to curate personal galleries of items in the Library’s collections for their own reference and for sharing with others. Items currently featured on the app include audio recordings, books, videos, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, notated music, periodicals, photos, prints, and drawings.

“The Library of Congress collection can now fit in your pocket,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The Library started 220 years ago with 740 books and three maps. Today, that collection has grown to make us the largest library in the world and a storehouse of our national history. It’s been our goal to throw open our treasure chest and help every American connect to the Library of Congress. The LOC Collections app is a uniquely personal, easy new way to explore the nation’s library.”  

Users can currently find the app for iPhone and iPad at the Library’s website or the iTunes store. An Android version of the app is slated for release later in 2020.

Click here for more information.

The Library of Congress announced today that it will cancel all scheduled public events at the Library until July 1 as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 coronavirus. Whenever possible, the Library will reschedule the public programs that have been canceled. We will also provide regular public updates on the operating status of Library facilities.

Click here for more information.

Friends,

I hope that you are taking care or yourselves and your families as we settle into a new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During these challenging times, the Library of Congress buildings remain closed to the public with all public events currently canceled through May 11. However, while our physical doors may be closed, we are still here for you.

The Library’s vast online resources offer unlimited opportunities to discover something new for families, educators, researchers and anyone curious enough to join us.

Our dedicated and talented Library staff remain hard at work, remotely expanding online collections, cataloging, registering Copyrights and advising Congress, while also developing new virtual events and offerings that offer new ways to engage. Below you will find just a few ways that you can continue to find excellent programs and content from the Library.

Thank you for your support of the Library of Congress, and we invite you to continue to (virtually) engage with us safely at home. Visit our web site for full, up-to-date information about our response to COVID-19.

Sincerely,
Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

Engage!

Children’s author and illustrator Dav Pilkey shares new activities and exciting videos every Friday. DETAILS: https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-20-026/

Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, shares his passion for storytelling through a new monthly GRAB THE MIC newsletter and "Write. Right. Rite.," a twice-weekly "Grab the Mic" video series. DETAILS: https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-20-028/

Poets Laureate Joy Harjo, Robert Pinsky, Natasha Trethewey and Juan Felipe Herrera talk to Ron Charles of The Washington Post about "The Poetry of Home" in a series for National Poetry Month. DETAILS: https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-20-029/

Find more ways to engage with authors you love and connect to the Library’s resources from anywhere in the world on this new, frequently-updated page: https://loc.gov/engage/

Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words – Visit the Exhibition Online

Visit fascinating exhibitions online including our current exhibition on Rosa Parks which showcases rarely seen materials that offer an intimate view of Rosa Parks and documents her life and activism—creating a rich opportunity for viewers to discover new dimensions to their understanding of this seminal figure.

https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/rosa-parks-in-her-own-words/about-this-exhibition/

For Educators: Classroom Materials & Online Office Hours

The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching. https://loc.gov/teachers/

Join Library of Congress education specialists for 20-minute topical presentations followed by Q&A every Tuesday and Thursday 2-3 p.m. ET. https://loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/office-hours/

Explore Digital Collections

Dive into the Library’s digital collections to explore just about any topic imaginable. Click through historical portraits and cityscape photographs, listen to sound recordings and oral histories, study American history and world cultures, discover local history and folklife traditions, explore maps, music, manuscripts and so much more. With digitized collections of more than 2.4 million items, it’s all at your fingertips.

https://loc.gov/collections/

Coronavirus Resource Guide

This is intended as a guide to laws, regulations and executive actions in the United States, at both the federal and the state level, and in various countries with respect to the new coronavirus and its spread. It also includes links to the Library's Congressional Research Service reports that provide information to Congress about the novel coronavirus. In addition, we provide links to relevant federal agency websites.

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/03/coronavirus-resource-guide/

Ask a Librarian – We’re Open for (Online) Business

Most of the Library’s reference librarians are now teleworking in response to the coronavirus pandemic. But our Ask a Librarian service remains open! Submit questions to receive research or reference help.

More: https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/03/ask-a-librarian-were-open-for-online-business/­

Support the Library

Thank you for being an important part of the Library of Congress family. During these difficult times, we are more grateful than ever for your support. Your generosity helps keep us strong and allows us to be ready when crises lift. Please stay safe. Visit loc.gov/donate and consider making a gift to ensure the Library’s resources help everyone who needs them.

During a time when many Americans are sheltering in place, four U.S. poets laureate will share poems and reflect on the subject of “home” and its meaning during our current moment in a new online video series from The Washington Post and the Library of Congress titled ‘The Poetry of Home.’

In conversation via Zoom with Post Book Critic Ron Charles, the series will open with U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo on Friday, April 10, to mark National Poetry Month, followed by three previous U.S. poets laureate, including Robert Pinsky on April 17, Natasha Trethewey on April 24 and Juan Felipe Herrera on May 1.

Click here for more information.

In his new role as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds will connect directly with young people online during the coronavirus pandemic, in collaboration with the Library of Congress, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader.

On April 14, Reynolds will debut his first initiative in support of his platform Grab the Mic: Tell Your Story—including a monthly newsletter for parents and educators focused on relevant topics of the day and a biweekly video series intended to inspire creativity in young people, titled “Write. Right. Rite.” Both will be hosted on Reynolds’ Grab the Mic Resource Guide at guides.loc.gov/jason-reynolds/grab-the-mic.

Click here for more information.

Tonight, April 7 at 8 p.m. (ET): John M. Barry, author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History," talks with David Rubenstein about the 1918 influenza pandemic, how the world responded and what it can teach us about COVID-19. The program will repeat this Saturday, April 11, at 3 p.m. (ET) and will be available on the Facebook, YouTube and the Library of Congress website.

• Library of Congress on Facebook
• Library of Congress on YouTube
• Videos from the Library of Congress

Poisoned Pen Press, the mystery imprint of leading independent publisher Sourcebooks, worked closely with the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Print Disabled at the Library of Congress to ensure a simultaneous print and braille release of “That Affair Next Door” by Anna Katharine Green, the debut title in the new Library of Congress Crime Classics series.

“The collaboration between Poisoned Pen Press, the Library of Congress’ Publishing Office and NLS led to a big win all around,” said National Library Service Director Karen Keninger. “The Library of Congress is committed to being a library for all people, and accessibility is a big part of that. This will allow our patrons to enjoy ‘That Affair Next Door,’ and future books in the Crime Classics series, much sooner than if we followed the usual route to producing them in braille and audio.”

On Tuesday, the electronic braille version of “That Affair Next Door” will be available on BARD, the NLS’s Braille and Audio Reading Download website. Hard copy braille and audio editions were also intended for simultaneous release but were delayed by work disruptions related to the coronavirus outbreak. A new release date has not been set.

Click here for more information.