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One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Five Questions with Arlene Balkansky, Reference Specialist, Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room

Posted by: Danna Bell

Arlene Balkansky loves working with the full range of people visiting Newspaper and Current Periodical reading room, whether on-site or remotely: the teenager working on a National History Day project, the family interested in comic books, the university student, the teacher participating in the Library’s Summer Teacher Institute, the genealogist, the professor, the filmmaker, the author, and more.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Five Questions with Karen Lloyd, Director of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project

Posted by: Danna Bell

I am the Director of the Veterans History Project, part of the American Folklife Center, at the Library of Congress. VHP's mission is to gather the oral histories of veterans and ensure they are accessible so current researchers and future generations understand what they saw, did and felt during their selfless service to our nation.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

A Chat with the Librarian of Congress: Reading, Teaching, and Questions from Kindergartners

Posted by: Danna Bell

Earlier this month, I spoke with Dr. Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, about a wide variety of topics. As I kicked off our conversation, I was thinking about the first activity I do with my new kindergartners each fall. We engage in a show and tell of items in the students’ backpacks. This one activity gives me an awareness and understanding of the boys and girls unlike any other.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Five Questions with James Wintle, Reference Librarian, Performing Arts Reading Room

Posted by: Danna Bell

One of the biggest reasons I love working at the Library of Congress is that my curiosity is sparked on a daily basis. Most recently, I have been fascinated by the music manuscripts of the early American composer Anthony Philip Heinrich (1781-1861). He was one of the first professional composers in the United States and was known as the “Beethoven of America.”

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Multimedia Moment: A Mystery Sparked by a Century-Old Film

Posted by: Danna Bell

In my first Multimedia Moment post, I focused on the action in actuality street scenes. One of the films, the 1897 Edison film Corner of Madison and State Streets, Chicago, showed people walking across the street with large signs that appeared to be advertisements. I instantly wanted to know what was written on the signs.