January News from the Library of Congress

January News from the Library of Congress

News from the Library of Congress Inaugurations Past, Presidential Papers and Pandemic Photo Collecting Friends, Happy 2021 to each of you! This year has already proved to be an eventful one. Like many of you, I am disappointed and disturbed by the recent unrest at the Capitol. This was one of the most significant breaches of the Capitol in its history since the War of 1812 when the building was on fire and the Library of Congress was burned as well. Following those events Thomas Jefferson sold his library to Congress, and it remains the foundation of our institution today. I am relieved to say that the Jefferson library, all of our collections, and most importantly our staff members are safe and secure.  You can read more about how the Library of Congress survived its destruction during the War of 1812 to become the nation’s – and the world’s – pre-eminent source of knowledge and information in this past Library of Congress Magazine issue about our history (p.8). As we turn our attention to today’s historic inauguration of the 46th president of the United States, Library staffers have published a number of blog posts examining inaugurations past. Find links to those below, and read about the completion of our initiative to digitize the papers of nearly two dozen early presidents. Updates on other exciting Library programs are also provided. Sincerely, Carla Hayden Librarian of Congress Inaugurations Past & Present: Blog Posts from Around the Library “Inaugurations: Stepping into History” – A Teacher Resource from the Library of Congress blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2021/01/inaugurations-stepping-into-history-a-teacher-resource-from-the-library-of-congress/ Selected Resources for Parents on Inaugurations, the Presidency, and Civic Engagement blogs.loc.gov/families/2021/01/resources-civics-inaugurations/ Weathering the Weather on Inauguration Day blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2021/01/inaugural-weather/ Amanda Gorman Selected as President-Elect Joe Biden’s Inaugural Poet blogs.loc.gov/catbird/2021/01/amanda-gorman-selected-as-president-elect-joe-bidens-inaugural-poet/ Intriguing Facts about Presidential Inaugurations Past blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/01/intriguing-facts-about-presidential-inaugurations-past/ Presidential Inaugurations Outside of Washington, D.C.: Law and Tradition blogs.loc.gov/law/2017/01/presidential-inaugurations-outside-of-washington-d-c-law-and-tradition/ Inauguration Music of Yesteryear blogs.loc.gov/music/2017/01/inauguration-music-of-yesteryear/ Panoramic Postcard of the Inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt at the Capitol, 1905. //https://ift.tt/3qwYi9S Historic Presidential Papers Digitized The Library of Congress has completed a more than two decade-long initiative to digitize the papers of nearly two dozen early presidents. The Library holds the papers of 23 presidents from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge, all of which have been digitized and are now available online. Read the announcement and access collections: loc.gov/item/prn-20-085/ Library Seeks Photos of Pandemic Experiences The Library is collaborating with the photo-sharing site Flickr to significantly expand our documentation of American experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether you use a cell phone, a professional camera or graphic design software, we’d like to see your images of how the pandemic has affected your daily life and community. We invite you to contribute photographic and graphic art images to the Flickr group “COVID-19 American Experiences.” Library curators will review submissions and select images to feature in Flickr galleries and to preserve in our permanent collections. More information: blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/09/library-seeks-pictures-of-pandemic-experiences/ Image credit: Family Portrait from the Covid-19 Era by Jonathan Brown on Flickr. Jan/Feb Library of Congress Magazine: The Art of the Book Books can be more than just words on a printed page; they can be works of art in their own right. This issue of LCM explores beautiful, innovative volumes found in the Library’s collections. Also, a newly acquired library offers stunning examples of book design and illustration, and a king-size scroll chronicles Commodore Perry’s voyage to Japan. Download now: loc.gov/lcm/pdf/LCM_2021_0102.pdf Browse all issues of LCM: loc.gov/lcm/ Librarians-in-Residence Program Deadline Jan. 22 The deadline to submit applications for the 2021 Librarians-in-Residence program is fast approaching! This program offers early career librarians the opportunity to develop their expertise and contribute to building, stewarding and sharing the institution’s vast collections. The Library will select up to seven applicants for a six-month residency to begin in June 2021. The program is open to students who will complete their master’s degrees in an American Library Association-accredited library and information science program no later than June 2021 or who completed such a degree no earlier than December 2019. Read the announcement and submit an application by Jan. 22, 2021: loc.gov/item/prn-20-086/ loc.gov/item/internships/librarian-in-residence/ We are more grateful than ever for all that you do to keep us strong. Whether you support the Library with a gift or simply by spreading the word about what we do, you help us in our mission to connect millions of people around the world with the stories of our collective past, present, and future. If you haven't yet had a chance to give and you're in a position to donate, please consider making a gift at loc.gov/donate/.