2021 Literacy Awards Winners & Best Practice Honorees
This short video highlights the winners and honorees of the 2021 Library of Congress Literacy Awards. Learn more about the inspiring work of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (winner of the 2021 David M. Rubenstein Prize), Parents as Teachers National Center (winner of the 2021 American Prize) and The Luminos Fund (winner of the 2021 International Prize); as well as the following 14 additional organizations...
Date:2021-11-29
Film, Video
Conversation with Zuill Bailey
GRAMMY Award-winner cellist Zuill Bailey discusses his virtual program at the Library of Congress. Bailey reflects on his upbringing in Northern Virginia surrounded by music opportunities, shares behind-the-scenes stories about the program, and talks about, as he calls it, "the love of his life," his cello.
Contributor:
Morales, Claudia - Plylar, David - Bailey, Zuill
Date:2021-11-19
Film, Video
Crystal Gazing Experiments in the Harry Houdini Collection
In this segment of From the Vaults, Amanda Zimmerman addresses some curious manuscripts in the Harry Houdini Collection in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. The Houndini collection contains many strange and intriguing materials, making up what Houdini himself referred to as one of the largest libraries in the world on psychic phenomena, Spiritualism, magic, witchcraft, demonology, evil spirits, etc., some of the...
Contributor:
Zimmerman, Amanda
Date:2021-11-19
Film, Video
Joan Miró's Constellations (1959) in the Aramont Library
In this segment of From the Vaults, we continue to explore treasures from the Aramont Library. Constellations is series of 23 gouache paintings completed by Joan Miró between the turbulent years of 1939 and 1941. When the war was over, the Constellations series was exhibited by Miró's dealer Pierre Matisse (son of Henri Matisse) in New York. The paintings were adopted by many artists...
Contributor:
Stillo, Stephanie
Date:2021-11-19
Film, Video
George Rouault's Circus of the Shooting Star (1938) from the Aramont Library
In this segment of From the Vaults, we continue to explore treasures from the Aramont Library. George Rouault's "Circus of the Shooting Star" (1938) was a massive undertaking by one of the most creative artists of the twentieth century. Rouault's circus contains seventy-four wood engravings and seventeen complex aquatints to illustrate the artist's deeply spiritual rumination on humanity and hope.
Contributor:
Stillo, Stephanie
Date:2021-11-19
Film, Video
The International Mark Twain Society
In this segment of From the Vaults, we discuss The International Mark Twain Society. The Society was founded in 1930 by Cyril Clemens as a social and literary discussion group, and later sent its book collection to the Library of Congress to form a Society collection in the Rare Book & Special Collections Division. The collection encompasses books published between the late 19th century...
Contributor:
Varner, Monica
Date:2021-11-19
Film, Video
Zuill Bailey and Bryan Wallick
GRAMMY Award-winning, Zuill Bailey and pianist Bryan Wallick come to the Library for a virtual cello recital. The program includes music of Mendelssohn, Debussy, Lukas Foss and Rachmaninoff. Program: [10:36] Mendelssohn: Variations concertantes in D major, op. 17 [19:10] Debussy: Sonata for cello and piano, L.135 [30:09] Lukas Foss: Capriccio for cello and piano [36:36] Rachmaninoff: Sonata in G minor for cello and piano,...
Contributor:
Wallick, Bryan - Bailey, Zuill
Date:2021-11-19
Film, Video
Illinois: Iggy Peck, Architect
Listen to members of Congress read from their favorite books for young people in "Read Around the States." Each video includes an interview with the author, in association with an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois reads from "Iggy Peck, Architect" by Andrea Beaty.
Contributor:
Beaty, Andrea - Matheis, Bonnie - Casten, Rep. Sean
Date:2021-11-17
Film, Video
Radio Enchains Music: The 1940 ASCAP Radio War and Music Festivals
Drawing on recordings, reviews, photographs, sheet music and materials in the Library's ASCAP Foundation Collection, this lecture argues that the 1940 ASCAP concert sheds new light on the issues of mass culture and radio, protest, race and gender at this reaffirmation of the American popular music canon in the final years before involvement in World War II.
Contributor:
C. La Barre, Elisse
Date:2021-11-17
Film, Video
GIS Day 2021 Mapping Ourselves: Geographic Information Science and the 2020 Census
"Mapping Ourselves: Exploring the 2020 Census" is a part of the international GIS Day events that take place at research institutions and universities around the globe. The Library of Congress has hosted GIS Day events for more than a decade. The programs always revolve around a specific current policy issue in which GIS is playing an important role. Last year the event centered on...
Contributor:
Riper, David Van - Bishop, Deirdre Dalpiaz - Hasier, Dr. Paulette - Hessler, John - O'Brien, Mackenzie - Leadbeater, Richard
Date:2021-11-17
Film, Video
Illinois - Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks
Listen to members of Congress read from their favorite books for young people in "Read Around the States." Each video includes an interview with the author, in association with an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois reads from "Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks" by Suzanne Slade and Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera.
Contributor:
Kelly, Rep. Robin - Slade, Suzanne - Matheis, Bonnie - A. Cabrera, Cozbi
Date:2021-11-17
Film, Video
A Hoax in the Family: The Buchanan Estate Scam
This extreme example of genealogy-gone-bad is a lesson to all of us about how to avoid stealthy pitfalls in family history research. It began when a grocer in Texas seized on a scheme to rally weary spirits, as the Great Depression drained hopes and finances across the country. He announced an $850,000,000.00 estate to be distributed among the eligible heirs of a vague ancestor....
Contributor:
Buchanan, Candice
Date:2021-11-16
Film, Video
Finding the Women in Our History
Delve into the past with the women from our local history and family trees. Understand the challenges involved in uncovering their stories. Celebrate the details big and small that the records reveal about their lives, families, and communities.
Kluge Prize Address From Recipient Danielle Allen
Danielle Allen delivers an address titled "Educating for American Democracy," in which she considers the role of education in fostering a common purpose in American society. At a time when the idea of cooperation for the public good is tested by crisis and political division, Allen's work connects us and brings us together around shared goals, all while maintaining the importance of the differences...
Contributor:
Haskell, John - Allen, Danielle - Hayden, Carla
Date:2021-11-16
Film, Video
Hub New Music
The versatile musicians of Hub New Music offer an exciting range of new and recent music. In this program Steven Mackey's violin sonata, a classic McKim Fund commission from the Library's archives, will be performed alongside a signature work by Takuma Itoh for Hub's unusual combination of flute, clarinet, violin and cello. The centerpiece of the concert will be the virtual world premiere of...
Contributor:
LI, Ruoting - Hub New Music - Pavé, Marco - Christeson, Jesse - Wang, Alyssa - Simon, Carlos - Brown, Nicholas - Avitabile, Michael - Bailey, Jared
Date:2021-11-05
Film, Video
Conversation with Hub New Music
The musicians of Hub New Music and composer Carlos Simon discuss their performance on the concert series. The discussion focuses on Carlos Simon's new work, "Requiem for the Enslaved", and other works by Steven Mackey and Takuma Itoh.
Contributor:
Plylar, David - Christeson, Jesse - Wang, Alyssa - Hub New Music - Brown, Nicholas - Avitabile, Michael - Simon, Carlos
Date:2021-11-05
Film, Video
Pillars of Democracy: The Administrative State
Much of the work of the U.S. Government occurs away from the spotlight. Unlike senators, Supreme Court justices, or presidents, public servants in the administrative state are rarely mentioned in the news. Still, the decisions of higher-profile public figures would have little effect without the agencies and the people in them that put policy into practice. Indeed the regulatory state effectively comprises a fourth...
Contributor:
A. Rosen, Jeffrey - Dudley, Susan - Haskell, John - A. Galston, William - Noveck, Beth Simone
Date:2021-11-04
Film, Video
U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland
To kick off Native American Heritage Month, Joy Harjo, the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, joins Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary, in a conversation with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
Contributor:
Harjo, Joy - Haaland, Sec. Deb - Hayden, Carla
Date:2021-11-01
Film, Video
Third Coast Percussion: Founders Day Concert
As part of the 2021 Founder's Day concert honoring Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, we present the fearless Third Coast Percussion, featuring the world premiere of Gemma Peacocke's The threshold we cross with closed eyes. Inspired by people's stories of arrivals at a point in history, Peacocke researched the Library's digital archive and listened to recordings of individuals' testimonies, some featured in her work. The piece...
Contributor:
Dillon, Robert - Connors, Sean - Martin, Peter - Skidmore, David
Date:2021-10-30
Film, Video
Conversation with Third Coast Percussion
In a lively conversation, Third Coast Percussion ensemble members David Skidmore, Peter Martin, Robert Dillon and Sean Connors discuss their Founder's Day virtual performance "Metamorphosis" Joining them in conversation is electronic producer and composer, Jlin and New Zealand composer Gemma Peacocke. The conversation centers around this collaborative work and behind-the-scene stories about Jlin's Perspectives and Gemma Peacock's world premiere, "The threshold we cross with...
Contributor:
Dillon, Robert - Peacocke, Gemma - Martin, Peter - Skidmore, David - Morales, Claudia - McLean, Anne - Connors, Sean - Patton, Jlin
Date:2021-10-29
Film, Video
FADGI and the World of Cultural Heritage
Initiated at the request of the Librarian of Congress, the Librarians-in-Residence program gives early-career librarians the opportunity to gain meaningful work experience in at least one track of the following: Acquisitions and Collection Development; Cataloging and Metadata; Systems and Standards; Reference and Instruction; and Collection Preservation. As part of the program, Residents participate in enrichment activities and receive mentoring from seasoned Library of Congress...
Contributor:
Rieger, Tom - Beckerle, Hana - Murray, Kate - Sokol, Donna - Phelps, Kristin - Michel, Phil
Date:2021-10-29
Film, Video
"Of The People" Residence Informational Webinar
In this webinar, Library of Congress staff will discuss the new "Of the People" initiative at the Library of Congress, supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Attendees will learn about the funding opportunities that make up one portion of this, the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative recently launched by the Library's Digital Strategy Directorate.
2021 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and Ken Burns announced the 2021 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film winner and runner-up at a virtual awards ceremony that featured a roundtable discussion focusing on the acclaimed documentary, "John Lewis: Good Trouble," directed by award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter in conversation with Dr. Hayden, Burns and moderator Yamiche Alcindor of the PBS Newshour. The evening included...
Contributor:
Lavine, Jeannie - Burns, Ken - Hayden, Carla
Date:2021-10-26
Film, Video
Conversation with Leif Ove Andsnes
Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes speaks with the Library's David Plylar about Andsnes' virtual program for the Library's concert series. The discussion is focused on Andsnes' program that includes music by Beethoven, Grieg and Dvořák, as well as the pianist's broader repertoire.
