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

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Cultural Contributions

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post by Tracy North, reference specialist in the Library of Congress Hispanic Division.) As Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) comes to a close, now is an excellent time to reflect on the many ways in which Hispanic Americans have contributed to our nation’s cultural and political landscape. …

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

Library Hosts Columbus Day Open House

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post by Library of Congress reference librarian Abby Yochelson.) This Monday, the Library of Congress holds its annual Columbus Day Open House in the Main Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Every year, excited tourists and school groups from all over the United States and around the world, families …

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

Documenting Dance: The Making of “Appalachian Spring”

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is an article written by Raymond White, senior music specialist in the Music Division, for the September-October 2014 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine, LCM. You can read the issue in its entirety here.) When “Appalachian Spring” debuted at the Library of Congress on Oct. 30, 1944, the one-act ballet made dance history. Set in …

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

Library in the News: September 2014 Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

On Sept. 10, the Library opened the exhibition “The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom.” Covering the opening were outlets including the National Newspapers Publishing Association, the Examiner and regional outlets from New York to Alabama. “A few things set this exhibition apart from the multitude of this year’s commemorations,” wrote …

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

Poem Dedicated to Library Published as Children’s Book

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post by Guy Lamolinara, communications officer in the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress.) Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins (2001-2003), creator of the Library’s Poetry 180 website, has just published his first illustrated children’s book with artist Karen Romagna. The book features Collins’ poem “Voyage,” which …

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

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Feliz Cumpleaños, Hispanic Division

Posted by: Erin Allen

(Today is the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated annually Sept. 15-Oct. 15. This year, the Library’s Hispanic Division marks its 75th anniversary. The following is an article from the July-August 2014 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine .) Dating back to the middle ages, the Library’s Hispanic world collections are the largest in …

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

Library in the News: August 2014 Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

In August, the Library of Congress was busy with exhibitions and expositions, opening “American Ballet Theatre: Touring the Globe for 75 Years” on Aug. 14 and hosting the 14th annual National Book Festival on Aug. 30. “At the company’s heart was ballet theater, a physical way of creating a new world onstage,” wrote Sarah Kaufman …

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

Pics of the Week: 2014 National Book Festival

Posted by: Erin Allen

Now in its 14th year, the Library of Congress National Book Festival welcomed book lovers to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center — a new venue for this year — on Saturday. More than 100 authors, poets and illustrators were featured throughout the day and evening, packing crowds into pavilions such as History & Biography, …

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

Civil Rights Act Exhibition Features Historical Documentary Footage

Posted by: Erin Allen

Considered the most significant piece of civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It banned discrimination in public accommodations, such as hotels, restaurants, theaters and retail stores. It outlawed segregation in public education. It banned discrimination in employment, and it …