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Archive for the Collections Category (593 posts)

Martin Luther King, Jr. and His National Day of Service

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This Monday, we will celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. The holiday commemorates his life and work, which he dedicated to the service of others, not only as a pastor, but also as a civil rights activist. He administered to people’s spiritual lives, naturally, but he also gave people practical aid in times of need and distress.

Martin Luther King press conference / [MST] Trikosko, Marion S., photographer [1964 Mar. 26.] Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsc.01269

With his commitment to service in mind, the federal holiday that was established in 1983 was transformed a decade later to be a holiday and a National Day of Service. Every year on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King’s National Day of Service is designated as “a day on, not a day off”. Coretta Scott King said, “The greatest birthday gift my husband could receive is if people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds celebrated the holiday by performing individual acts of kindness through service to others.” It is the only national service holiday. Americans are encouraged to honor Dr. King’s life and service by serving others and their communities.

Dr. King said, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”  If you are looking for a service opportunity to celebrate this holiday, you can find more information at AmeriCorps, the only federal agency that works for community service and volunteerism.

Resources

KF27.P632 1988j  United States. Congress. House. Committee on Post Office and Civil Service. Subcommittee on Census and Population. Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday Commission Extension Act : hearing before the Subcommittee on Census and Population of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, second session on H.R. 4443 … August 2, 1988.

KF26.J8 1994b United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. The King Holiday and Service Act of 1993 : hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, second session on S. 774 … April 13, 1994.

 

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The Most Viewed Legal Research Reports and Global Legal Monitor Articles of 2022

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The Law Library of Congress is unique in many ways. To accomplish our mission of providing authoritative legal research, reference, and instruction services, and access to an unrivaled collection of U.S., foreign, comparative, and international law, our staff includes foreign and U.S. trained legal specialists and law librarians from around the world who cover 300+ […]

Get Ready: Favorite Ready Reference Materials at the Law Library of Congress

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This is a guest post by Olivia Kane-Cruz, the current librarian-in-residence at the Law Library of Congress. As the current librarian-in-residence, I am constantly learning from the more experienced legal reference librarians. During my very first week, I had the opportunity to shadow other librarians at the reference desk in the Law Library Reading Room. […]

Legal Contradictions for the Enslaved in 18th Century Mexico: The Case of Lorenzo Zabala

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The following is a guest post by Drue Edney, an intern in the Digital Resources Division of the Law Library of Congress through the Library of Congress Internship program (LOCI). Note: this post uses a pejorative term as it originally appears in the collection item. During my internship at the Law Library of Congress, I have had the […]

Collection Highlights: The Finnish Baby Box at 85 Years Old

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Today marks Finland’s Independence Day, a day on which I like to highlight items from our Finnish law collection. This year marks 85 years since Finland first introduced the Äitiyspakkaus maternity package, commonly known as the Finnish baby box, in 1937. This law was passed in response to high child mortality and sinking fertility among […]

Hank Adams, Activist and Indigenous Law Expert, 1943-2020

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November is Native American Heritage Month, when we recognize and celebrate the first peoples of this continent and their science, art, accomplishments and traditional knowledge. The Law Library collects primary source law, codes, and regulations of sovereign Indigenous nations and tribes, and commentary on Indigenous law as well. We recognize the importance of Indigenous law […]