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Posted by: Erin Allen
“Look before you leap.” “Do not believe everything you hear.” “A kindness is never wasted.” “Heaven helps those who help themselves.” “You are judged by the company you keep.” Sound familiar? Sage advice given to you at one time or another likely by your parents or other loved ones, right? I know I can hear …
Posted in: Books, Education, LC Web site, Uncategorized
Posted by: Erin Allen
June marked a pretty busy time here at the Library of Congress with some big-ticket announcements. From naming a new Poet Laureate and pivotal books in America’s history to recent collection acquisitions, the institution was making regular headlines. In announcing Mississippi native and Pulitzer Prize-winning Natasha Trethewey as Poet Laureate, Librarian of Congress James H. …
Posted in: Books, Collections, Events, Exhibitions, Manuscripts, News, Newspapers, Poetry, Science
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
In conjunction with the Monday launch of an exhibition at the Library of Congress titled “Books That Shaped America” as part of its overarching Celebration of the Book, the Library of Congress is making public a list of 88 books by Americans that, it can be argued, shaped the nation over its lifetime. It’s not …
Posted in: Books, Collections, Education, Events, Exhibitions, History, LC Web site, Libraries, Photos, Poetry
Posted by: Erin Allen
In addition to today being Flag Day (you can read more about that here), June 14 is also Family History Day. This actually makes me think of my dad, who has become quite the budding genealogist. Over the last several months, he has been extensively researching our family tree. Apparently one of my very distant …
Posted in: Books, Capitol Hill, Collections, Genealogy, Thomas Jefferson Building, Today in History, Washington DC
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: 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: 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: Jennifer Gavin
Here’s what you book fiends have been waiting for – the author lineup for the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival, Sept. 22 and 23 on the National Mall. Authors will include towering American novelist Philip Roth and Nobel Prize-winner Mario Vargas Llosa; the irrepressible T.C. Boyle (some of you know him as T. …
Posted in: Books, Capitol Hill, Education, Events, LC Web site, National Book Festival, Podcasts, Poetry, Washington DC
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
Take 550 grade- and middle-school kids; put ‘em in a room with an amazing author they know and love; add a barrage of questions about the creative process and a dash of humor. One hour later, open the doors and stand back as a large flock of reading would-be writers burst out upon the world! …
Posted in: Books, Capitol Hill, Education, Events, Libraries, National Book Festival, Washington DC