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Archive: October 2014 (13 Posts)

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

A Spirited Story

Posted by: Erin Allen

A Harris Poll of 2,250 people surveyed in November 2013 found that 42 percent of Americans said they believe in ghosts. And, nearly one-in-five adults in the United States say they have seen or been in the presence of a ghost, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center survey. Many people know of at least …

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

Pic of the Week: A Tree for CRS

Posted by: Erin Allen

The Congressional Research Service celebrates its centennial this year. To mark the occasion, a commemorative tree was planted on the grounds of the Thomas Jefferson Building. The 10-foot Japanese maple serves as a living memorial to the men and women who have served in the  legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress. A plaque at …

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

Astrobiology Chair Steven Dick Discusses Research, Tenure at the Library

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a repost from the Insights: Scholarly Work at the John W. Kluge Center blog. Jason Steinhauer spoke with Steven Dick, Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, who concludes his tenure at the Kluge Center this month.) How the Discovery of Life Will Transform Our Thinking October 27, 2014 by Jason Steinhauer Astrobiology Chair …

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

Pianist, NLS Making Beautiful Music Together

Posted by: Erin Allen

Jazz pianist Justin Kauflin is quick to laugh and down to earth, taking his national success in stride, especially for a 28-year-old musician. Kauflin has a CD of his original music coming out in January, is currently promoting a documentary film about his friendship with noted jazz trumpeter Clark Terry and has toured with the …

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

Opera Onstage, Drama Offstage

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Today marks the anniversary of the opening of the original Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, on Oct. 22, 1883.  This is the hall, no longer in existence, where Enrico Caruso performed “Vesti La Giubba” in “Pagliacci”; where Geraldine Farrar sang “Un Bel Di,” in “Madame Butterfly.”  Thanks to radio broadcasts, it was the …

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

A-B-C … Easy as One, Two, Three

Posted by: Erin Allen

On Oct. 16, 1758, Noah Webster, the “Father of American Scholarship and Education” was born. Lexicographers everywhere celebrate his contributions on his birthday, also known as “Dictionary Day.” As a young, rural Connecticut teacher, he used his own money to publish his first speller in 1783. Reissued throughout the 19th century, the 1829 “Blue Back …

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

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Cultural Contributions

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post by Tracy North, reference specialist in the Library of Congress Hispanic Division.) As Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) comes to a close, now is an excellent time to reflect on the many ways in which Hispanic Americans have contributed to our nation’s cultural and political landscape. …

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

See it Now: Columbus’s Book of Privileges

Posted by: Erin Allen

On January 5, 1502, prior to his fourth and final voyage to America, Christopher Columbus gathered several judges and notaries in his home in Seville to authorize the authentic copies of his archival collection of original documents through which Queen Isabella of Castille and her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragon, had granted titles, revenues, powers …

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

Library Hosts Columbus Day Open House

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post by Library of Congress reference librarian Abby Yochelson.) This Monday, the Library of Congress holds its annual Columbus Day Open House in the Main Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Every year, excited tourists and school groups from all over the United States and around the world, families …