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Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
When it comes to priceless art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has quite a bit, including a trove of Raphaels. But the Library of Congress (on its National Book Festival site, now live at www.loc.gov/bookfest) has a new Rafael López National Book Festival poster for 2012 that’s priceless, too – because you …
Posted in: Blogging, Books, Capitol Hill, Education, Events, LC Web site, National Book Festival, News, Social Media, Washington DC
Posted by: Erin Allen
In addition to the Library of Congress blog that you’re reading right now, the institution has brought several other blogs into the fold. And, let me tell you, they are writing about some great things. From time to time, I hope to give a shout out to these blogs and direct your attention to what …
Posted in: Blogging, Collections, Congress Blogs, Law Library, LC Web site, Music, Photos, Poetry, Preservation, Science, Social Media
Posted by: Erin Allen
The writing of Natasha Trethewey explores a past that often is unsettling – growing up biracial in 1960s Mississippi, the lives of forgotten African-American soldiers during the Civil War, the murder of her mother, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. “When you begin to think about the past, you realize how much of it is lost …
Posted in: Poetry
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
Ray Bradbury, the towering writer of science fiction, died today at age 91. Talk about an author who will be missed … In the United States, our lives have been steeped in science fiction, from the days of “Buck Rogers” and the cheesy B-movies of the 1950s to the phenomena of “Star Trek,” “The Matrix” …
Posted in: Books, Libraries, Poetry, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized
Posted by: Erin Allen
May was a musical month with the Library of Congress recognizing song and sounds in a major way. The Library honored Burt Bacharach and Hal David with the 2012 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. You can read more about it here. The two were celebrated with concerts at both the Library and the White House. …
Posted in: Capitol Hill, Concerts, Events, Kluge Center, Music, News, Uncategorized
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
Two hundred years ago today, President James Madison set pen to paper to write a message to Congress. His intent was to talk them into making the nation’s first formal declaration of war – on Great Britain, which was squashing U.S. exports as a side effect of a British naval blockade against Napoleon’s France. But …
Posted in: Blogging, Books, Capitol Hill, Collections, Congress, Exhibitions, History, Law Library, LC Web site, Libraries
Posted by: Erin Allen
For the third consecutive year, special items from the Library of Congress’ Jewish American collections have been put on display at the White House. In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, President Barack Obama hosted a reception at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on Wednesday evening. “Generations of Jewish Americans have brought to bear some of our …
Posted in: Abraham Lincoln, Collections, Events, Exhibitions, History, Jewish American History, Manuscripts
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
One of the sad facts about the commercialization of the holiday season – for me, anyway — is that many Christmas carols I related to as a child have become so much sonic wallpaper. On a positive note, though, my inner ear has anointed some tunes as “ex officio” holiday music – the entire Beatles …
Posted in: Audiovisual, Collections, History, Music, Preservation
Posted by: Erin Allen
The following is a guest post from Audrey Fischer of the Library’s Public Affairs Office. While others critique the nation’s schools’ effectiveness in teaching the three Rs—reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic—actor and activist Richard Dreyfuss is on a crusade to teach the fourth R—republican democracy. His cause célèbre is the restoration of civics education, to ensure …
Posted in: Capitol Hill, Law Library, LC Web site