December 8, 2024 marked the 150th anniversary of the 1874 transit of Venus, the phenomena when Venus crosses between the Earth and the Sun. The event prompted many countries to plan scientific expeditions to the areas directly beneath the travel line in hopes of getting the best view. Read about how the transit was anticipated in the daily news!
An interview with researcher Caleb Franz who utilized the collections at the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room for his new book "The Conductor: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father." Read about his researcher experience, cool discoveries, and tips and recommendations for navigating the collections.
Read about the serial killer Bender family from Cherryvale, Kansas, in Chronicling America, with first-hand accounts and breaking news as it was printed in 1873. The unsolved mystery of the Benders captivated headlines for over 50 years.
Crockett Johnson (1906-1975), born David Johnson Leisk, had a career as a cartoonist and newspaper comic strip artist before he wrote children’s books, most notably “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” See where you can find his work in the journals and newspapers at the Library of Congress.
Learn how to find 21st century newspapers (current newspapers) in the Serial and Government Publications Division collections. These are mostly accessible on-site only, but you can look up titles from the comfort of your own computer using our interactive lists. "How to find" is a new blog series on tips, tricks, and tools to help you navigate the collections of the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room.
New Hampshire content is new in Chronicling America! Read our guest post by Robin Butterhof, a Digital Conversion Specialist in SER, and Toben Traver from Dartmouth Libraries (NH) who share about how the NH newspapers were selected, what content they contain, and some tips on how to search in them.
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) dedicated her whole life to advocating for civil rights, especially the education of youth. You can find her work making headlines in Chronicling America newspapers, as well as her friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and other high profile people of the day. Even some comic books featured her biography.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the British Library, the Serial and Government Publications Division displayed some related comic book content on Captain Britain, Miracleman, Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, and Winston Churchill.