November 16, 2022 Live at the Library to Feature Special Preview of New Exhibit, Bobbitt Prize Honorees in December

Visitors will have the chance to preview the Library’s newest exhibition, “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America” and are invited to celebrate the holidays with the Library during Live at the Library in December. Winners of the Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove and Heid E. Erdrich, will also be honored during a special reading.

On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour drinks and snacks available for purchase in the Great Hall overlooking the Capitol and the building’s beautiful architecture while immersing themselves in the Library’s exhibits, collections and programs.

Free timed-entry passes or an event registration are required to enter the Thomas Jefferson Building. Visit loc.gov/visit to reserve your pass for Live at the Library.

Programming Highlights for December
Dec. 1: Celebrate the season with the A Capella Holiday Concert with Alilo from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium. The six-person a Capella Georgian ensemble performs folk music dating from Georgia’s ancient past, reflecting the diverse musical regions within the country, as well as more modern “old town songs” from the 20^th century. Reserve a timed-entry pass.

Dec. 8: Join for a special evening featuring the 2022 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry honorees Rita Dove and Heid E. Erdrich from 7 to 8 p.m. in Room LJ-119. Both winners will read from their work. Reserve a timed-entry pass.

Dec. 15: Get a sneak peak of the Library’s newest exhibition, “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America” before it opens to the public. The exhibition explores the history of voluntary associations that reveal the aspirations of Americans as “a nation of joiners,” while also acknowledges these groups have sometimes reflect society’s exclusions, discriminations and division. Join for the Library of Congress Holiday Celebration from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall. Celebrate the season with musical performances, festive refreshments and a special story time with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Reserve a timed-entry pass.

Please note that the Library will also be open with its extended hours for Live at the Library on Dec. 22 and 29.

Exhibitions On View
Explore more Library exhibitions during Live at the Library. “Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America’s Library” represents a sampling of the more than 15 million photographs held by the Library, ranging from the early days of photography to today. Take a look at the “first selfie,” which is thought to be the world’s oldest known photographic self-portrait, and see important pictures of Harriet Tubman, the Wright brothers and more.

Visitors can also view timely displays with items celebrating the 125^th anniversary of the Thomas Jefferson Building, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and more. Explore the Library’s current exhibitions.

Find the latest event details at loc.gov/live, and subscribe to the Library’s Upcoming Events email list. Future events will be announced on a monthly basis.

Live at the Library is part of a broader effort to reimagine the visitor experience at the Library of Congress that invites visitors to enjoy the Library and its collections in new formats during extended evening hours on Thursday night. The series regularly features special conversations, music, performances, films and workshops that showcase the broad range of holdings at the national library.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.