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Posted by: Wendi Maloney
Today, the Library of Congress celebrates its 218th birthday. On April 24, 1800, President John Adams approved an appropriation of $5,000 for the purchase of “such books as may be necessary for the use of [C]ongress.” The first books purchased were ordered from London and arrived in 1801. The collection of 740 volumes and three …
Posted in: Capitol Hill, Libraries, Thomas Jefferson Building
Posted by: Wendi Maloney
Crowds gathered on the lawn of the Library’s Jefferson Building on July 13 to view “The Princess Bride,” undeterred by weather that was a little warm and humid, even for a Washington, D.C., summer evening. The outdoor screening kicked off a six-film series, “LOC Summer Movies on the Lawn,” showcasing modern classics that have been …
Posted in: Capitol Hill, Events, Film, Pic of the Week
Posted by: Erin Allen
This is a guest post by Cheryl Fox, Library of Congress archives specialist in the Manuscript Division. The Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building is bordered by a number of impressive trees. One of them, a Japanese elm at the southwest corner of the building, was planted on Dec. 7, 1920, in memory of four Library of …
Posted in: Books, Capitol Hill, Collections, Curators, History, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington DC, World War I
Posted by: Erin Allen
The Young Readers Center in the Library of Congress hosted a series of events Jan. 28 to celebrate its new Saturday hours of operation, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The center, which opened in October 2009, will offer more young people and their families the opportunity to experience the wonders and resources of the nation’s library. “It …
Posted in: Books, Capitol Hill, Education, Libraries, Photos, Pic of the Week, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington DC
Posted by: Erin Allen
The Library is highlighting presidential inauguration history in a temporary display on view through Saturday, Feb. 4 in the rooms known as Mahogany Row, LJ-110 to LJ-113, on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Presidential treasures like the handwritten speeches of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln are featured along with collections on …
Posted in: Capitol Hill, Collections, Curators, Exhibitions, History, Manuscripts, Photos, Pic of the Week, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington DC
Posted by: Erin Allen
All eyes turn to Washington this week, as the nation’s 45th president is inaugurated on January 20. However, until the passage of the 20th Amendment in 1933, inauguration day was always March 4 in order to allow enough time after Election Day for officials to gather election returns and for newly elected candidates to travel to …
Posted in: Capitol Hill, Collections, Congress, History, Manuscripts, Today in History, Washington DC
Posted by: Erin Allen
(The following post is featured in the January/February 2017 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine, LCM, and was written by Audrey Fischer, LCM editor. You can read the issue in its entirety here.) The inauguration of the 45th president will be the social media event of the year. Today, social media provides an unlimited …
Posted in: Audiovisual, Capitol Hill, Collections, Film, History, LCM, Social Media, Washington DC
Posted by: Erin Allen
The Library of Congress welcomed new members of Congress and their family families, friends and supporters at events marking the start of the new term of the 115th Congress last week. Five new members of Congress – joined by about 800 guests – held receptions in the Jefferson or Madison buildings: Reps. Anthony Brown (D-Maryland), Tom O’Halleran (D-Arizona), Jamie …
Posted in: Capitol Hill, Congress, Events, Photos, Pic of the Week, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington DC
Posted by: Erin Allen
As is our tradition, the Library of Congress has once again decorated the Great Hall with a tall tree for the holidays, full of lights and ornaments for the enjoyment of visitors. I’m not sure exactly how tall, but it takes staff using a small cherry picker to put together and decorate the tree. Set amidst …
Posted in: Capitol Hill, Photos, Pic of the Week, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington DC