Top of page

Category: Libraries

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

But You Don’t Look a Day Over 209 …

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Audrey Fischer of the Library’s Public Affairs Office offers this guest blog item for Saturday: April 24 marks the Library’s 210th anniversary. Let it be said that the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution keeps getting better with age. In 2000, the Library of Congress celebrated its bicentennial. That same year it embarked on a mission …

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

‘Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas …

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

… And despite all good cheer, It sized up as “boringest night of the year.” Still 36 hours until Christmas dawning, And reruns of reruns were leaving ‘em yawning. The tree decorating had happened last week The lineup of movies appeared rather bleak. The cookies were eaten; the sprinkles were scattered No Christmas ‘till Christmas! …

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

Now Tweeting: Law Library of Congress

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Now that we have a couple of years or more of using social media to benefit the Library’s missions, we’re letting other folks around the institution get in the act. The “Books and Beyond” series in the Center for the Book launched a Facebook page, which is essentially an online book club, with the recent …

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

'Authorama' on the National Mall

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

The authors’ lineup for the National Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26 went public today–what star-power! Bestselling authors David Baldacci, John Grisham, John Irving, Julia Alvarez, Judy Blume, Ken Burns, Gwen Ifill, and Jodi Picoult–as well as celebrity chef Paula Deen–will be among scores of authors and illustrators presenting at the festival, organized and sponsored …

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

How We 'May' Protect Our Cultural Treasures

Posted by: Matt Raymond

“May Day!” is a well-known distress call.  But “MayDay” is also a project to help prevent distress of another kind: Archives, libraries, museums and historic preservation organizations have set aside May 1 to participate in MayDay, an initiative to protect cultural heritage from disasters. For our part, the Library last year contributed a “mutual assistance” …

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

How 'Big' Is the Library of Congress?

Posted by: Matt Raymond

I want to preface this post by reiterating one of our general disclaimers up front, to wit: “This blog does not represent official Library of Congress communications.” Because this post will edge slightly closer to “editorializing” than most of my previous posts. Working in the Office of Communications as I do, I’m aware of the …

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

Citizenship Test and the 'Answer Key'

Posted by: Matt Raymond

A staff member here at the Library pointed me to this article in The New York Times about a revamped test immigrants must pass before they may become citizens. The article talks about the pros and cons of both the old test and the new.? The aim, according to the story, was to get away …