Learn About the Library of Congress at the National Book Festival

The following is a guest post by George Thuronyi, program manager in the Copyright Office and member of the Library of Congress National Book Festival team.

Ever wonder what goes on at the Library of Congress? The National Book Festival is your chance to take a virtual journey through the Library’s rich treasure-trove of collections and find out about the many programs that reach people everywhere. This year, the Library of Congress Pavilion will feature exhibits and presentations by Library subject-matter experts on topics ranging from historic newspapers to the importance of Braille literacy. Since this is a big election year, we’ll focus on the Library’s resources related to presidential elections.

Among the presenters, Deborah Thomas of the National Digital Newspaper Program will highlight historic news coverage of presidential elections over the 19th and early 20th centuries. Our education and outreach staff will talk about how teachers can make good use of primary-education sources. Pam Jackson of the Center for the Book will showcase organizations that work with the center. Barbara Bavis of the Law Library will introduce Law.gov and Congress.gov, two websites that offer a wealth of legislative information.

If you’re interested in copyright, take a trip with Whitney Levandusky of the Copyright Office through the life of an artist encountering common questions about copyright law. Rob Kasunic will focus on copyright disputes in presidential elections. Kate Zwaard will talk about the Library’s mission to explore uses of the collection, spark innovation and encourage care of our nation’s cultural memory. Jason Yasner will discuss multilingual cultural treasures in the World Digital Library. You can also learn about General John J. Pershing, who was the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I.

Lisa Taylor of the Veterans History Project will show samples from the project’s collections and explain how you can help gather and submit veterans’ stories. From the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Karen Keninger will discuss the importance of Braille literacy. There will be music, too. Steve Winick of the American Folklife Center will play some presidential campaign songs that entered folk tradition and reveal what Woody Guthrie thought of the 1940 presidential election.

Check out our full schedule of exhibits and presentations here. The Library of Congress Pavilion will be located in the expo area, on the lower level, and will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Come visit us!