The Terrific Twos!

by

Ellen and I holding up our cake. Just kidding this is a photo of a WOMAN SUFFRAGE BIRTHDAY CAKE, 1919.

INSIDE ADAMS IS TURNING TWO!

When we launched Inside Adams on October 30, 2009 we became the second official Library of Congress blog- the first was the LC Blog (launched April 2007).  In the two years since we published our first post “…Never be afraid of a book,” the Library has added 5 more official blogs to its roster:

  1. In the Muse: Performing Arts
  2. In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress
  3. The Signal: Digital Preservation
  4. Teaching with the Library of Congress
  5. Picture This: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

My co-blogger, Ellen, thought it would be fitting to share with our readers our favorite post over the past two years.

Here’s my selection:

Sweet potato or yam? Our record isn't sure, but the flowering above resembles that of a sweet potato

I have a number of favorite posts, so picking just one isn’t easy. I am especially partial to the features we do about the art and architecture of the Adams Building. I love to learn about the history of our building and the architectural details, from the terrazzo floors to the marble walls, that make our building a work of art. But my favorite post, so far, would be A Sweet Potato History.

The sweet potato is one of my favorite vegetables and it has become my mission to bring to the attention of the U.S. public the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. When I give presentations about blogging at LC, I often use the Sweet Potato post as an example of the benefits of writing a blog. Not only does a blog increase the visibility of the Library’s collections and expertise, but it also provides an example of how the Library can engage in a conversation with the public. In fact, the Sweet Potato post was inspired by a reader who wanted to know more about the origin of candied yams.

I also like this post because it shows how the Library can learn from the public.  One of our readers commented that he could not find a reference to a recipe I cited. Wouldn’t you know I cited the wrong cookbook? Thanks to this reader I was able to correct the citation.

Here’s Ellen’s selection:

Pneumatic tubes in the Adams Building

I too had a hard time choosing a favorite post.  I like the posts that are historical in nature like the 1865 post about New Orleans (my home town) because I can always find something interesting to include from the Library’s collection.  But I think my favorite post was one from almost a year ago – A Short Visit from a Noted Gentleman.  I liked this post for two reasons. One, because I really enjoyed doing the Flat Stanley project and could feature the pictures I took , and two, I thought it was a fun way to show the Library off. I hoped that seeing Flat Stanley on the Library’s web page would be a great way for the students to connect to the Library.

Now that you know our favorite Inside Adams blog posts, what are your favorites?

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