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By: Patrick Hastings
Because the game of baseball emerged and developed concurrent to the rise of cheap, mass-produced reading material, the Library has many printed artifacts from the mid-1800s that document the evolution and popularization of America's favorite pastime.
Posted in: Bibliomania
By: Jennifer Ezell
A college student finds inspiration in the intersection between science and history during the National Book Festival.
Posted in: Minerva’s Kaleidoscope
By: Stephen Winick
A few weeks ago we published two blog posts introducing the American Folklife Center's rich folktale collections. We focused on "Jack Tales," those stories telling the adventures of a tricky, resourceful young man named Jack. We included audio of many Jack tales within those posts, but length limitations prevented us from embedding the texts of the stories as well. So, to make the stories more accessible to a wider audience, we'll be posting a few blogs with transcriptions of some of the stories we presented in those blogs. We'll begin with "Jack and the Northwest Wind," as told by Maud Long.
Posted in: Folklife Today
By: Sasha Dowdy
This is a guest post from Zach Klitzman, writer-editor in the Library of Congress Publishing Office. Earlier this month the Library of Congress published “To Catch a Thief” by David Dodge as the 19th entry in its Crime Classics Series. The book, originally published in 1952, tells the story of John Robie, a retired jewel thief …
Posted in: Bookmarked
By: Timothy Jones
Whether you are a vocalist, instrumentalist, or accompanist, the NLS Music Section is pleased to bring you a plethora of offerings to aid you on your musical journey. Plus, we have additional resources to help you grasp the concepts within the realm of music theory.
Posted in: NLS Music Notes
By: Colleen Smith
Among the many types of primary sources included in the Cold War primary source set, items from the Congressional Record uniquely offer a glimpse into legislative decision making from the Cold War Era, as it was happening. Students can examine how elected officials spoke about, debated, and voted on issues of the era.
Posted in: Teaching with the Library
On March 20, 2025, the DC Chapter of AI4LAM held its first meeting at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in downtown Washington, and Library of Congress staff were excited to take part in the event. AI4LAM is an international, collaborative community focused on advancing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in, for, and …
Posted in: The Signal
By: Patrick Hastings
One hundred years ago, on April 10, 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald celebrated the publication of what he considered to be his greatest work of literature, The Great Gatsby. He had high hopes for the novel’s success in both sales and critical reception. “It will sell about 80,000 copies,” he supposed, “but I may be wrong.” In fact, he was wrong twice.
Posted in: Bibliomania
By: Melissa Lindberg
Sample some images from the Library of Congress postcard collections in this post as we prepare to host a webinar on April 16 featuring a broad selection of postcards from the late 19th century forward. We hope this quick introduction will encourage you to watch the live event – or listen to the recording if you aren’t able to make it!
Posted in: Picture This
By: Kate Phillips
In a recent post, we introduced a slew of newly processed or digitized collections. This week we are highlighting a newly available and graphically fun collection, the U.S. Patent Office Trademarks—brands, logos, and images registered between 1869 and 1911. We will do this through a selection of whimsical images featuring magical and mythical creatures such as fairies, dragons, mermaids, and gnomes.
Posted in: Picture This