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Posted by: Mark Hartsell
When Abraham Lincoln appointed Ainsworth Spofford as Librarian of Congress in 1864, he changed U.S. history. Over the next 32 years, Spofford transformed a small library just for members of congress into a national institution, got the funding for the magnificent Jefferson Building and set it on a course to become the world's largest library.
Posted in: Congress, LCM, Libraries, Thomas Jefferson Building
Posted by: Wendi Maloney
This article also appears in the March-April issue of the Library of Congress Magazine. The Thomas Jefferson Building has awed visitors ever since it opened its doors in 1897. The grand building is more than a marvel of art and architecture, though; it’s also a monument to function and safety — fire safety in particular. …
Posted in: Architecture, Capitol Hill, LCM, Libraries, Library Work and Employees, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington DC
Posted by: Wendi Maloney
A major new Library exhibition, “The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution,” uses original documents such as letters, diaries, maps, newspapers and political cartoons to shed light on striking likenesses between men long supposed to be polar opposites -- George Washington and King George III. The two opposed one another during the Revolutionary War, but actually shared many personal and leadership traits. The exhibit, a joint project between the Library of Congress and the Royal Archives, runs at the Library through next March. It is also online via the Library's website and in a companion book.
Posted in: American Revolution, Exhibitions, Gazette, George Washington, LCM, Libraries, Library Work and Employees, Manuscripts, Researcher Stories, Thomas Jefferson Building
Posted by: April Slayton
When the Library of Congress began in 1800, it had 152 works in 740 volumes. Also, there were three maps. Today, as its 225th birthday arrives, the Library has amassed more than 181 million items from around the world, forming what is widely considered to be the greatest collection of knowledge ever assembled. How did it happen? This story walks readers through the Library's fascinating history.
Posted in: Alexander Hamilton, Collections, Copyright, LCM, Libraries, Library Work and Employees, Maps, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington DC
Posted by: Neely Tucker
Kelsey Corlett-Rivera, an international language librarian for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, received a 2024 Librarian of Congress Award for expanding acquisition and discoverability of accessible books. Here, she discusses her background and work at the Library.
Posted in: Gazette, Libraries, Library Work and Employees, National Library Service (NLS)
Posted by: Neely Tucker
Bestselling author Louis Bayard has written nine historical novels over the past two decades and has researched them all at the Library, poring over maps, sorting through personal love letters, consulting societal details of the lost worlds that he brings to life. His latest novel, “The Wildes,” a fictionalized account of Oscar Wilde and his …
Posted in: Abraham Lincoln, Capitol Hill, LGBTQ, Libraries, Manuscripts, Researcher Stories, Writers
Posted by: Wendi Maloney
Monica Smith, chief of the Library's informal learning office, talks about her work and the goals of the program. She joined the Library in 2023 after three decades at the Smithsonian; she's also a veteran world traveler.
Posted in: Curators, Gazette, Kids, Libraries, Library Work and Employees, My Job
Posted by: Wendi Maloney
Angela Kinney was named deputy director of the Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access Directorate in November. This is a brief question and answer article about her long career at the Library.
Posted in: African and Middle Eastern Division, Gazette, Libraries, Library Work and Employees, My Job
Posted by: Neely Tucker
Guy Lamolinara is the head of the Library's Center for the Book, a job that calls on his decades of work at the Library and lifelong love of literature.
Posted in: Center for the Book, Gazette, Libraries, Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, Library Work and Employees, Literacy, My Job, National Book Festival