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Reference librarian assisting a researcher in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress, 2019. Photo by Shawn Miller

Best of the Fest 2022: Library of Congress

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The Library of Congress Stage introduced audiences to the important work being done at the Library to make our collections more accessible, inspire research and creativity, and extend our reach beyond the walls of our reading rooms. We are excited to release footage from that stage on our site and our YouTube channel.

  • The day started with Library Trivia – an engaging program for all ages that combined fun with learning about the Library of Congress’ history and collections.
  • Public affairs specialist María Peña welcomed Spanish-speaking visitors to the book festival with our first Spanish-language presentation, featuring an overview of the Library’s history and collections, and an invitation to join the Library for Hispanic Heritage Month. More…
  • Creativity is the core of copyright, and John St. Amour took the audience on a journey through the Copyright Office exhibit’s artifacts to find how each of us contribute to the copyright system through books and other creative works. More
  • Visitors were treated to a presentation by Law Librarian Aslihan Bulut and research librarian Barbara Bair, who walked us through Constitution Annotated, an online resource that provides a comprehensive review of U.S. Constitutional provisions and the leading U.S. Supreme Court decisions that interpret them. More
  • The Library of Congress supports K-16 teachers with primary source-inspired programs, classroom materials, fellowships and grants. Lee Ann Potter introduced guests to a sampling of the K-16 resources at the Library. More
  • Since 2018, our virtual volunteers have completed more than 500,000 transcriptions improving search, accessibility and discovery for the papers of Theodore Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Walt Whitman, Susan B. Anthony, and more. Travis Owens explained how transcribers are impacting the Library while exploring pages from history—and how you can get involved. More
  • Doing genealogical research for African Americans can be quite challenging, but reference specialist Ahmed Johnson walked a packed room through various approaches including what you might be able to find in your home, local community, and at the Library. More
  • Library staff don’t just support the research of visitors, but are accomplished authors themselves. Mark E. Horowitz, Julie Miller, Ryan Reft and Trevor Owens discussed the process of researching and writing and answered questions about their work at the Library.
  • The Library’s preservation services division is busy with projects that enable digital research and preserve born-digital collections. Amanda May explained the specialized hardware and software used to save collections that live on external media like floppy disks, CDs and hard drives. More
  • Lora Sodini shared the Library’s history of philanthropy and how you might contribute to this rich history by becoming a Friend of the Library of Congress. More

We hope these presentations inspire you to engage with the Library and connect with our resources wherever you may be.

This is a guest post by Elizabeth Schreiber-Byers, events liaison in the Special Collections Directorate.