On Monday, October 9, visitors to the Library will have the opportunity to see and explore our historic Main Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building, as part of the Library’s Semi-Annual Main Reading Room Open House. This family-friendly opportunity offers the public an opportunity to get a taste of the Library’s collections, exhibitions, and architecture. Reference librarians, curators, and Library staff will be on hand throughout the day to lead tours and share collections displays, including a preview of the Library’s forthcoming pop-up exhibit, LOC Halloween: Chambers of Mystery. Additionally, the Library will present an array of Hispanic Heritage Month programs, in conjunction with Discovery en Español and made possible by Verizon FiOS.
Throughout the day you are invited to visit the Music Division’s permanent exhibition on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, “Here to Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin,” which features a holograph manuscript short score of Porgy and Bess and one of George Gershwin’s pianos. You can see Marvin Hamlisch’s “PEGOT” Awards (Pulitzer, Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar, Tony), plus several historic Stradivari stringed instruments will also be on view on the Whittall Pavilion.
Semi-Annual Main Reading Room Open House Highlights
Location: Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street, SE, Washington, DC
- Thomas Jefferson Building hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm)
- Main Reading Room open to the public (10:00 am-3:00 pm)
- Frida Kahlo Story Time & Children’s Activities (10:30 am-12:30 pm)
- Venue: Whittall Pavilion
- Young Readers Center open to the public (10:00 am-3:00 pm)
- Film: Benito Juárez, la derrota de un Imperio (1:00-2:45 pm)
- Venue: Coolidge Auditorium
- Benito Juárez Treasures Display (10:00 am-3:00 pm)
- Venue: Coolidge Auditorium Lobby
- National Hispanic Heritage Month Treasures Display (8:30 am to 4:30 pm)
- Venue: Second Floor, Agile Display Cases
- Tours: “Exploring the Early Americas” Exhibit (11:00 am & 12:00 pm)
- Venue: Northwest Gallery, Second Floor
The Library’s Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, home to the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, will also host an open house from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on October 9. More details are available here.