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Posted by: Matt Raymond
Our very own John Hessler was featured in today’s Washington Post talking about some of the mysteries behind one of the grand-daddies of all maps, the 1507 Martin Waldseemüller World Map, the document that named “America” and one of the Library’s toppest of the top treasures. (OK, we don’t categorize the treasures quite that way, …
Posted by: Matt Raymond
Happy Halloween to all! There’s no better time to point you to the LOC’s “Wise Guide” for October, which explores how trick-or-treating got started: The origins of present day “trick-or-treat” date back to the Celtic tradition of offering gifts of fruits and nuts to appease wandering spirits. If not placated, the villagers feared that the …
Posted in: History, LC Web site
Posted by: Matt Raymond
Tomorrow is Constitution Day, when we celebrate the Sept. 17, 1787, signing of that foundational document. If you’re a student who is putting the finishing touches on an assignment or essay, or a teacher who wants to inspire his or her class, you have come to the right place. The Library of Congress has excellent …
Posted in: Collections, Education, History, LC Web site
Posted by: Matt Raymond
As the Gulf Coast holds its collective breath in preparation for Tropical Storm Gustav, it does so with an eerie sense of deja vu: It was exactly three years ago today that Hurricane Katrina made its devastating landfall. The Digital Reference Team at the Library of Congress has updated the Today in History page for …
Posted in: History, News, Today in History
Posted by: Matt Raymond
As Americans settle in to watch the two major party nominating conventions this week and next, have you ever wondered what political conventions were like before the days of the Web, television, or even the telegraph? The Humanities and Social Sciences division at the Library of Congress has provided timely summaries of the Democratic and …
Posted in: Events, History, LC Web site, News, Photos, Technology
Posted by: Matt Raymond
You can find out that answer to that question and many more in the August edition of the Library of Congress Wise Guide, which is now online.
Posted in: History, LC Web site
Posted by: Matt Raymond
Today is one of my favorite days of the year, because it is one of the most compelling versions of “show and tell” anyone will ever get to see! Every year for the past few years, thanks to the generosity of the late Mrs. Jefferson Patterson and the James Madison Council, the Library of Congress’s …
Posted in: Cataloging, Collections, Copyright, Events, Exhibitions, History
Posted by: Matt Raymond
One of my favorite new RSS feeds or email subscriptions from the Library is put out by the folks who bring us “Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers.” (RSS here, email sign-up here.) The feed gives a daily look at what was going on in the news 100 years ago — something I tried a couple …
Posted in: Collections, History, LC Web site, Washington DC