“ASCAP is the Magna Carta to the author and composer . . . the Declaration of Independence of the creative mind . . . and the Social Security of the free spirit.”

—Johnny Mercer

Whether the public realizes it or not, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) is a part of their everyday lives. Whenever someone boots up a computer, turns on a television, listens to the radio while stuck in traffic, hears kids at band practice, shops at the mall, plays a video game, or goes to a movie or a concert—he or she benefits from the work and art that is the creation of nearly a half million members of the society. ASCAP is the soundtrack of American experience.

Created by a group of composers, authors, and publishers in 1914, ASCAP is a vibrant organization, owned and operated by members, which safeguards the copyrighted musical works of its constituents. ASCAP monitors live and broadcast use of its members’ works and ensures that the producers of the musical arts are fairly compensated for their creations. In 2011, ASCAP collected more than $982 million dollars in royalty fees for its members.

The ASCAP: One Hundred Years and Beyond exhibitionexplores the riches of the ASCAP Foundation Collection in the Music Division at the Library of Congress.  It celebrates the organization’s past one hundred years, explores its current work and challenges, and looks to ASCAP’s future as a vital force in fostering and protecting the creativity of new generations. The Library of Congress celebrates the people who are ASCAP.