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Archive: May 2009 (14 Posts)

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

All Publicity is Good

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Ninety-six years ago today, a riot broke out among audience members witnessing the premiere of a piece that changed classical-music history. The composer, Igor Stravinsky, was horrified; the impresario, Serge Diaghilev, was delighted. Feelings ran high at the Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris that night, from the very opening bars of Stravinsky’s ballet “The …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

President, Mrs. Obama Honorary Chairs of Book Festival

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Both the President and the First Lady will be Honorary Chairs of the 2009 National Book Festival, to be held Saturday, Sept. 26 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. between 7th and 14th Streets, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., rain or shine. This colossal event, heading into its ninth year, lets book-lovers hear …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Flickr Favorites, in Focus

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

The Library’s Prints & Photographs Division today is offering a new twist on the Library’s Flickr site in The Commons — a clickable list of favorites from the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information collections, under the heading “FSA/OWI Favorites.” There will be 10 “most-requested” photos from these Library collections, including the iconic …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Uncle Sam 2.0: U.S. Government Goes YouTube

Posted by: Matt Raymond

The U.S. federal government has joined several of the departments and agencies under its vast umbrella, including the Library of Congress, that have channels on YouTube. The site aggregates other channels from across the government and features select video content. The channel is broken down into handy playlists by topic such as Health and Nutrition, …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

'Browse by Topic' Among New LOC.gov Features

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Longtime visitors to our home page (and we love LOC.gov groupies!) will notice a couple of new features today: First, we’re now highlighting the new World Digital Library partnership in our featured “marquee” at the top of the page. The WDL partnership among the Library, UNESCO and organizations and institutions around the world brings together …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

O Say Can You See … the Bottom of This Mug?

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

It’s not unusual, today, for a song from Broadway or other popular music to be given new lyrics, usually for the purpose of a send-up or satire. So it’s noteworthy that our national anthem — yes, “The Star-Spangled Banner” — actually was an application of more serious lyrics to a tune associated with a drinking …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

High Water Mark

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

This morning at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., about 150 folks got a cultural and environmental treat, hearing several young poets and seeing the work of young artists who were winners and finalists in this year’s “River of Words” competition. 2009 marks the 14th year the program, co-founded by former U. S. …