News from the Library of Congress

December 2020

November 2020

  • November 24, 2020  (20-078)
    Behind the Book, a New Event Series, Takes Public Inside the World of American Publishing If you have ever wondered how a book goes from rough manuscript to published masterpiece and an author from obscurity to fame, then a new series of programs from the Library of Congress is just for you.The new series, Behind the Book, provides a behind-the-scenes view of the world of American book publishing — the editors, designers, publicists, agents and publishers who make the...
    • Date: 2020-11-24
  • November 19, 2020  (20-075)
    Joy Harjo Appointed to Third Term as U.S. Poet Laureate Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has announced the appointment of U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo to a third term, making Harjo the second laureate to receive this extension since terms for the position were established in 1943.Harjo’s third term, to begin in September 2021, will offer her an opportunity to complete projects and programs whose timelines continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,...
    • Date: 2020-11-19
  • November 18, 2020  (20-074)
    Library Seeks Applicants for the 2021 Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program The Library of Congress is seeking applicants for its next Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program, which will run from May 24 – July 30, 2021. This 10-week paid internship is open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning and conducting research at the largest library in the world. For the second year in a row, the internship will be conducted virtually. The deadline...
    • Date: 2020-11-18
  • November 18, 2020  (20-076)
    Library of Congress, National Park Service Announce 2020 Holland Prize Winner The Library of Congress and the National Park Service announced today that the 2020 Leicester B. Holland Prize will be presented to an architectural team at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, led by Guy W. Carwile, architect emeritus and the Ken Hollis endowed professor of the School of Design. The prize honors an outstanding historic building, structure or landscape drawing.The top prize was...
    • Date: 2020-11-18
  • November 18, 2020  (20-077)
    Ron Howard and J.D. Vance to Discuss "Hillbilly Elegy" with Librarian of Congress The Library of Congress and Netflix will host a conversation on Monday, Nov. 23, with film director Ron Howard and J.D. Vance, author of “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” moderated by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to discuss the creative process of bringing the book to the screen with the release of the new film, “Hillbilly Elegy.”The event...
    • Date: 2020-11-18
  • November 10, 2020  (20-073)
    Library to Host Experts on Mapping COVID-19 Pandemic for GIS Day 2020 The Library of Congress will mark GIS Day on Nov. 18 with special programs featuring geographic information science professionals and analysts who are documenting the outbreak of COVID-19.For cartographers and epidemiologists tracking the spread, evolution and mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as the distribution of a potential vaccine and personal protective equipment, the outbreak of COVID-19 has presented a geospatial analysis challenge...
    • Date: 2020-11-10

October 2020

  • October 30, 2020  (20-072)
    Veterans History Project Celebrates 20th Anniversary Year with Online Concerts, Panels, Nov. 6-14 The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP) will host a series of musical performances and discussion panels to inspire conversations around the collection as both an archival resource and a diverse repository of veterans’ experiences — a mission it has met for the past 20 years. The events will premiere on the Veterans History Project’s Facebook page: facebook.com/vetshistoryproject.Friday, Nov. 6Barbara Martin, 8 p.m.The...
    • Date: 2020-10-30
  • October 29, 2020  (20-071)
    Making Our Mark: 2021 Innovator in Residence to Focus on Creative Notetaking The strike-throughs, underlines, doodles, and marginalia made by historical figures in their personal papers at the Library of Congress give researchers a more intimate sense of who they were. These markings sometimes shed light on the story of how a work was made or received. Researchers can understand more about the creative process, opinions and musings of people throughout the centuries by understanding these...
    • Date: 2020-10-29
  • October 28, 2020  (20-070)
    U.S. ISSN Center To Launch New ISSN Request System On Monday, Nov. 23, the Library’s U.S. ISSN Center will launch ISSN Uplink, a new application and tracking system for International Standard Serial Numbers. The current system will close on Friday, Nov. 6 to support a smooth transition to the new system. Publishers and others who need ISSN will benefit from the new request process, which will be completely online. Applications submitted after Nov....
    • Date: 2020-10-28
  • October 26, 2020  (20-069)
    Law Library of Congress Signs Preservation Steward Agreement with Government Publishing Office The Law Library of Congress has signed an agreement with the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) to become a preservation steward. Through the agreement, the Law Library of Congress will preserve its collection of the daily Congressional Record and Federal Register, which are produced by GPO.To help libraries meet the needs of efficient government document stewardship in the digital era, GPO has established preservation...
    • Date: 2020-10-26
  • October 20, 2020  (20-068)
    Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film Awarded to "Hold Your Fire," Directed by Stefan Forbes The Better Angels Society, the Library of Congress, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced that the second annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film has been awarded to “Hold Your Fire,” a new film directed by Stefan Forbes (“Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story”). The film will receive a $200,000 finishing grant to assist with post-production costs.Produced by Amir Soltani...
    • Date: 2020-10-20
  • October 16, 2020  (20-067)
    New Virtual Student Workshops Offer Opportunity to Engage with Library's Collections at Home The Library of Congress is now offering virtual student workshops to engage young learners during an unprecedented school year. A new set of virtual workshops, available for students in grades three through eight, offer an opportunity to explore the Library’s exhibitions, collections and architecture from home.“The Library has long been an outstanding resource for teachers through its Teaching with Primary Sources Program. Now as...
    • Date: 2020-10-16
  • October 8, 2020  (20-066)
    Library of Congress and National Park Service Receive Historic Collection on Women's Rights from National Woman's Party Today, the National Woman’s Party (NWP) announced the gift of its historic collection spanning women’s suffrage and the movement for women’s equality to the Library of Congress and National Park Service. This gift comes as the country celebrates 100 years of women's constitutional right to vote and ensures public access to a trove of records about the history of the women’s rights movement in...
    • Date: 2020-10-08

September 2020

  • September 22, 2020  (20-063)
    Citizen DJ Music-Mixing App to Launch at National Book Festival The Library’s Citizen DJ project will officially launch at the 2020 National Book Festival with the premiere of original sounds created by youth across America. At the virtual festival, DJ Kid Koala will spin some of these original beats and be joined in discussion with young adults, community educators and Innovator in Residence Brian Foo about hip-hop, history and their creative process. This summer,...
    • Date: 2020-09-22
  • September 21, 2020  (20-064)
    Librarian of Congress Appoints Shira Perlmutter Register of Copyrights Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced her selection of Shira Perlmutter as the 14th Register of Copyrights.“I am pleased to announce that Shira Perlmutter will serve as the 14th United States Register of Copyrights,” said Hayden. “Shira brings to this role a deep knowledge of domestic and international copyright law and policy and a background in negotiating international intellectual property agreements. She has...
    • Date: 2020-09-21
  • September 18, 2020  (20-062)
    Hispanic Heritage Month Events at the Library of Congress To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, various divisions throughout the Library of Congress will host virtual events and digital features, including National Book Festival highlights and the pre-recorded 2020 Américas Awards. Friday, Sept. 25 – Sunday, Sept. 27 – National Book Festival Sunday, Sept. 6 p.m. EST; PBS stations (check local listings)The National Book Festival occurs during...
    • Date: 2020-09-18
  • September 17, 2020  (20-061)
    National Book Festival Features a Day of Programming for Schools, Children and Teens at Home The Library of Congress National Book Festival will present a robust lineup of live and recorded programming featuring all-star authors for schools and young audiences at home on Friday, Sept. 25. Video interviews with popular authors of books for children and young adults, as well as two 1-hour video specials, will be available for on-demand viewing starting at 9 a.m. ET on the festival...
    • Date: 2020-09-17
  • September 15, 2020  (20-060)
    Library of Congress Launches New Tool to Search Historical Newspaper Images The public can now explore more than 1.5 million historical newspaper images online and free of charge. The latest machine learning experience from Library of Congress Labs, Newspaper Navigator allows users to search visual content in American newspapers dating 1789-1963.The user begins by entering a keyword that returns a selection of photos. Then the user can choose photos to search against, allowing the discovery...
    • Date: 2020-09-15
  • September 10, 2020  (20-058)
    Library of Congress Announces Winners of the 2020 Literacy Awards Five organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Awards, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today.Top prizes are being awarded to The Immigrant Learning Center, The International Rescue Committee, Inc. – Pakistan Reading Project, the National Center for Families Learning, Pratham Books and Room to Read. The Literacy Awards, originated by David M. Rubenstein...
    • Date: 2020-09-10
  • September 8, 2020  (20-059)
    Library of Congress Welcomes Albert Einstein Fellow for New School Year The Library of Congress has welcomed Peter DeCraene as its newest Albert Einstein Distinguished Education Fellow. DeCraene will work closely with the Library’s Learning and Innovation Office to make primary sources from the Library’s collections more accessible for teachers throughout the United States.“We have been on a mission for the past few years to demonstrate the value of primary sources across the curriculum and...
    • Date: 2020-09-08
  • September 2, 2020  (20-057)
    Library of Congress Appoints New Chief of Serial and Government Publications Division The Library of Congress has appointed Deborah Thomas as chief of the Serial and Government Publications Division. Thomas brings more than 20 years’ expertise working with digital collections and coordinating several of the Library’s signature programs. She has served as acting chief of the division since December 2019.Since joining the Library in 1998, Thomas has held numerous positions as an expert in the digital...
    • Date: 2020-09-02

August 2020

  • August 27, 2020  (20-056)
    American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress Launches Podcast 'America Works' The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is bringing the voices of workers throughout the country to listeners with "America Works," a new podcast series that celebrates the diversity and tenacity of the American workforce during a time of economic crisis and transition.Each 10-minute episode of "America Works" introduces listeners to an individual worker whose first-person narrative adds to the wealth of...
    • Date: 2020-08-27
  • August 25, 2020  (20-055)
    Annual 'Concerts from the Library of Congress' Season Announced The Library of Congress will continue its longstanding tradition of displaying America’s rich and diverse musical heritage during the 2020-2021 season of “Concerts from the Library of Congress.” The upcoming season will feature conversations with artists, performances of Library-commissioned work by Michael Abels, James Lee III and Igor Santos, and a festival titled “(Re)Hearing Beethoven.”Consistent with social distancing and safety protocols in response to...
    • Date: 2020-08-25
  • August 19, 2020  (20-053)
    Library of Congress Honors Oklahoma City and San Francisco Libraries for Service to Print-Disabled Readers The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library of Congress announced today that it will honor two of its cooperating libraries for their outstanding service to readers who are visually or physically disabled.The Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, received the Regional Library of the Year Award. The Talking Books and Braille...
    • Date: 2020-08-19
  • August 12, 2020  (20-054)
    PBS to Broadcast Television Special Featuring Library of Congress National Book Festival The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival will include two new entry points for audiences across the country for the first time — a national television special on PBS stations and an interactive experience online for the festival’s 20th year.PBS stations will broadcast “The Library of Congress National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity,” a two-hour program featuring some of the nation’s most renowned...
    • Date: 2020-08-12
  • August 11, 2020  (20-052)
    Library Hosts Public Forum on Congress.gov Improvements and Priorities On Thursday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to noon EST, the Library of Congress will host a virtual public forum focused on public access to legislative information through Congress.gov. This event will provide an update on improvements to Congress.gov, which is the authoritative repository of U.S. congressional data, and the Library’s role in providing access to legislative information. The forum will also give Congress.gov...
    • Date: 2020-08-11
  • August 6, 2020  (20-051)
    Two Major Gifts to Reimagine Visitor Experience and Enhance Photography Collections at Library of Congress A major gift by Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation in Los Angeles will support the effort to reimagine the visitor experience at the Library of Congress. The foundation also announced that it is donating 1,000 photographic prints by about 250 contemporary photographers from its Annenberg Space for Photography exhibitions to the national library’s collections.The Library is pursuing a multi-year plan to transform the...
    • Date: 2020-08-06
  • August 3, 2020  (20-049)
    Library of Congress Appoints New Chief of African and Middle Eastern Division The Library of Congress has appointed Lanisa Kitchiner as chief of the African and Middle Eastern Division. Kitchiner brings more than 18 years’ experience as an administrator of cultural institutions and an academic mobilizing knowledge around Africa’s cultural and historical ties to the Middle East.Kitchiner most recently served as director of education and scholarly initiatives at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art...
    • Date: 2020-08-03
  • August 3, 2020  (20-050)
    Smithsonian, Library of Congress and National Archives Are Counting Down to the Suffrage Centennial With #19SuffrageStories The Smithsonian, Library of Congress and the National Archives have launched #19SuffrageStories, a 19-day social media campaign that will share stories about the long fight for women’s voting rights in the U.S. Every weekday from Aug. 3 to Aug. 26, the three institutions will share one of 19 stories related to women’s suffrage, counting down to Women’s Equality Day Aug. 26. The institutions have...
    • Date: 2020-08-03

July 2020

  • July 24, 2020  (20-048)
    Library of Congress National Book Festival Announces Full Author Lineup The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival will connect with audiences across the country for an interactive, online celebration of “American Ingenuity” for the festival’s 20th year, featuring new books by more than 120 of the nation’s most-renowned writers, poets and artists. The festival will also showcase the many ways our national library embraces all subjects in its unparalleled collection.During the weekend of...
    • Date: 2020-07-24
  • July 13, 2020  (20-046)
    2020 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction to be Awarded to Colson Whitehead Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that Colson Whitehead, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Nickel Boys” and “The Underground Railroad,” will receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction during the 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Sept. 25-27.Whitehead, 50, is the youngest person to receive the Library’s fiction award for his lifetime of work.“Colson Whitehead’s work is...
    • Date: 2020-07-13
  • July 9, 2020  (20-047)
    Historic Public Affairs Series "Black Journal" Now Available Online at the American Archive of Public Broadcasting A collection of episodes from “Black Journal,” the first nationally televised public affairs program produced for, about, and by Black Americans has been released by The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB), a collaboration between WGBH and the Library of Congress.Largely unseen since they aired between 1968 and 1977, the 59 episodes have been digitized from archival tape in the Library’s collection and are...
    • Date: 2020-07-09

June 2020

  • June 24, 2020  (20-044)
    Library of Congress FEDLINK Awards Recognize Federal Library Community The Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) has announced the winners of its national awards for federal librarianship, which recognize the many innovative ways that federal libraries, librarians and library technicians fulfill the information demands of the government, business, and scholarly communities and the American public.Federal libraries and staff throughout the United States and abroad competed for the awards. The Fiscal Year 2019 winners...
    • Date: 2020-06-24
  • June 24, 2020  (20-045)
    Library of Congress Announces 2020 Homegrown Concert Series: Homegrown at Home The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress will present traditional music and dance from a variety of folk cultures thriving in the United States and around the world in a new online concert series each Wednesday through September.This year’s Homegrown summer concert series, “Homegrown at Home,” is being presented in a new online format, consistent with social distancing and safety practices in...
    • Date: 2020-06-24
  • June 22, 2020  (20-043)
    Library of Congress to Award Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity to Danielle Allen Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that Danielle Allen, director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, will receive the 2020 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity.Allen will collaborate with the Library on an initiative she has designed, titled “Our Common Purpose—A Campaign for Civic Strength at...
    • Date: 2020-06-22
  • June 17, 2020  (20-042)
    Library & Copyright Office Host Forum on Copyright Modernization On Thursday, July 16, at 10 am ET, the Library of Congress Office of the Chief Information Officer and the U.S. Copyright Office will host a virtual public forum on Copyright Office IT modernization. The purpose of Copyright Office IT modernization is to ensure that the creative community and other copyright users have a nimble, state-of-the-art, and efficient IT system at their service. This...
    • Date: 2020-06-17
  • June 11, 2020  (20-041)
    Librarian Appoints Joe Cappello to Serve as Chief Human Capital Officer Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that Joe Cappello has been selected to serve as the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) for the Library of Congress, effective immediately. Cappello has been the acting CHCO since January.“The Library’s employees are our greatest strength, so I am delighted that Joe Cappello will lead our Human Capital Directorate, because I know he is as committed to...
    • Date: 2020-06-11
  • June 10, 2020  (20-040)
    Library of Congress Cancels Public Events Until September 1 The Library of Congress announced today that it will cancel all scheduled public events at the Library until Sept. 1 as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 coronavirus. Whenever possible, the Library will reschedule the public programs that have been canceled. We will also provide regular public updates on the operating status of Library facilities.Library of Congress buildings...
    • Date: 2020-06-10

May 2020

  • May 29, 2020  (20-038)
    Library of Congress Commissions 10 New Works of Music in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic The Library of Congress will premiere a series of 10 commissions of new music from composers across America in The Boccaccio Project, inspired by a similar literary effort in the mid-14th century by Giovanni Boccaccio.The new commissions will premiere on the Library’s website and social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube on weekdays from June 15 to June 26, and the commission manuscripts...
    • Date: 2020-05-29
  • May 28, 2020  (20-036)
    Library of Congress Welcomes Junior Fellows to 2020 Summer Intern Program The Library of Congress today announced the appointment of 40 undergraduate and graduate students to its highly competitive Junior Fellows summer intern program. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this program will be conducted virtually.This year’s Junior Fellows program, which runs from May 26 to July 31, includes 27 special projects across divisions of the Library of Congress. The program will expose the Junior...
    • Date: 2020-05-28
  • May 28, 2020  (20-039)
    Library of Congress Celebrates 'American Ingenuity' and Takes 2020 National Book Festival Online for Readers Everywhere The 20th Library of Congress National Book Festival will celebrate “American Ingenuity” in 2020, featuring the creativity and inspiration of some of the nation’s most gifted authors in a reimagined virtual festival the weekend of Sept. 25-27. The festival is part of the Library’s 220th anniversary year, and more details will be announced at a later date.In a time of social distancing during the...
    • Date: 2020-05-28
  • May 21, 2020  (20-037)
    Library of Congress and Portland Ovations to Present the International Contemporary Ensemble with World Premieres Live on YouTube The Library of Congress and Portland Ovations will present the International Contemporary Ensemble in the Library’s first interactive digital concert – “Aural Explorations: Farrin, Fure and Messiaen” – on Thursday, May 28, at 7 p.m. Eastern time.The concert will feature the world premiere of the Library co-commissioned composition by Suzanne Farrin titled “Nacht,” capping a season-long celebration of women composers and performers honoring the...
    • Date: 2020-05-21
  • May 5, 2020  (20-035)
    Veterans History Project Launches New Feature Commemorating 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP) today launched, “End of World War II: 75th Anniversary,” a new online feature of the “Experiencing War” website that highlights firsthand accounts of the war’s end.Seventy five years ago, on May 8, 1945, Americans on the home front and the front lines celebrated the Allied victory in Europe — known as V-E Day — and began...
    • Date: 2020-05-05

April 2020

  • April 30, 2020  (20-034)
    U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo Appointed for a Second Term Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has appointed Joy Harjo to serve a second term as the nation’s 23rd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2020-2021. During her second term, Harjo will launch a new Library of Congress collection and online map featuring Native poets and poetry.“Joy Harjo is such an inspiring and engaging poet laureate,” Hayden said. “I’m thrilled she said yes to a...
    • Date: 2020-04-30
  • April 27, 2020  (20-033)
    Papers of Presidents Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur and William McKinley Now Online The papers of Presidents Andrew Johnson, Chester Alan Arthur and William McKinley have been digitized and are now available online for the first time from the Library of Congress. These papers can be accessed both at the loc.gov website and on the new LOC Collections mobile app.The three presidencies represented in these collections all began or ended with the trauma of a presidential assassination....
    • Date: 2020-04-27
  • April 24, 2020  (20-031)
    Library of Congress Needs a Few Citizen DJs The Library of Congress is celebrating its 220th birthday today with a present for music-makers and music-lovers everywhere: a chance to play with Citizen DJ, a groundbreaking project that inspires hip-hop music-making from home and opens new doors into the Library’s extensive audio collections.Citizen DJ is an open-source web-browser application created by Library of Congress 2020 Innovator in Residence Brian Foo in partnership with...
    • Date: 2020-04-24