Top of page

Archive: 2007 (113 Posts)

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

A Note to Commenters

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Several commenters in recent days have been attempting to post off-topic comments in the form of a hack that is designed to circumvent certain copyright protections. These comments will not be approved, and any commenters who persist in this manner are subject to being banned from commenting. (See the disclaimer found above the comments box.) …

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

Today in History: Skyscraping Edition

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Lest the day slip completely away from me � and so as to keep my newfound “TIH” autodidacticism intact � I point to today’s edition remembering the day in 1931 when the lights first went on at that famous magnet for oversized apes, the Empire State Building. I’ve only been to the top once, but …

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

The Merry Month of May

Posted by: Matt Raymond

It’s a busy day and a busy month at the Library of Congress! Not only is today Law Day, but it marks the kickoff of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. We’ve issued a news release detailing how the Library is observing the month, and launched a Web site gathering several related Library collections and resources together …

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

Library of Congress Lends Help to DCPL

Posted by: Matt Raymond

As a followup to yesterday?s blurb about the fire at the Georgetown branch of the DC Public Library ? although I didn?t know it at the time of posting, the Library of Congress is working to lend a hand. Here is a statement I received from staff in our Preservation Directorate: Ginnie Cooper, Chief Librarian …

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

May Day? Law Day!

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Harper Lee?s famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, begins with a quote by the English essayist Charles Lamb: ?Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.? Perhaps Lee and/or Lamb was being ironic, but May 1, which is celebrated as Law Day, puts that quotation in a very literal and meaningful context. The theme of Law Day …

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

Library in the News, 4/30/07

Posted by: Matt Raymond

A few AP photos are starting to move from the event that ended barely an hour ago, in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel formally transferred the 1507 Waldseemüller Map to the Library of Congress and the American people (represented by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer). You can see them here, here, here, here, here and …

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

Today in History: 'Manifest Embarrassment' Edition

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Did you know that America’s first president was also apparently one of the more reluctant to serve in office? Today’s “TIH” focuses on the Library’s vast collections regarding George Washington and his “manifest embarrassment” during his first inaugural address on April 30, 1789.

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

Library in Georgetown Hit by Fire

Posted by: Matt Raymond

The Web site of WRC-TV in Washington is reporting that the branch of the DC Public Library in the District?s historic Georgetown neighborhood is on fire. From the story: Its Peabody Room contains a special collection of items pertaining to the history of Georgetown. The fire chief told Spencer that they are aware of the …

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

‘National Treasure’ at the Library

Posted by: Matt Raymond

The Library of Congress has been known for its “American Treasures” and “World Treasures” exhibitions, but more recently, we have been hosting “National Treasure.” Or, more precisely, “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” the sequel to the hit 2004 Disney film. I’m prohibited — at least for now — from talking much about the film. That’s …