May 29, 2024 Library To Host Treasures Family Day in June with a Special Performance by Natalie Merchant

The Library of Congress will host a Family Day on June 15 with focused programming around the new Treasures Gallery exhibition. Natalie Merchant will begin the day leading a folk-song sing-along in the historic Coolidge Auditorium with a selection of traditional folk music drawn from the Library’s vast archive at the American Folklife Center. Activities will be held on Saturday, June 15, on the second floor of the Jefferson Building from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will also be “Treasures of American Communities” performances and demonstrations all day in the Great Hall.

Families and visitors of all ages are invited to participate in Family Day creative Library collection-focused activities for budding researchers. In addition to special activities connected to relevant Library collections, visitors are invited to explore the various exhibitions on display in the Jefferson Building. The Treasures Family Day is generously supported by The Carnegie at Washingtonian Center and The Fitzgerald of Palisades.

“Collecting Memories” explores how cultures preserve memory, including the role of the Library in preserving collective memories representing entire societies, important moments in history and individual lives. The exhibition draws from the Library’s rich holdings of Americana and international collections, bringing together a mix of voice recordings, moving images, diaries, manuscripts, photographs, art, maps, books and more.

The Treasures Gallery will show visitors the Library is constantly collecting, preserving and serving a wide variety of collections for the American people. Philanthropist David M. Rubenstein made a transformational lead gift of $10 million to support the visitor experience project, and the Treasures Gallery has been named in his honor.

June Programming:

June 13: Visitors are invited to the opening of the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery at the Library of Congress and a celebratory concert featuring acclaimed recording artist Natalie Merchant, who also serves on the board of the Library’s American Folklife Center. Livestreaming will be available. Register for tickets.

June 15: Celebrate the new David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery with a day of fun-filled family hands-on activities and performances in the beautiful Jefferson Building. The program begins with a folk-song sing-along with Natalie Merchant in the historic Coolidge Auditorium. Additional performances throughout the day include jump roping, hand clap games, body percussion, and a community square dance. All activities are free of charge. The Treasures Family Day is generously supported by The Carnegie at Washingtonian Center and The Fizgerald of Palisades. Register for tickets.  

June 15: Commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Library’s concert series with Zephyros Winds and pianist Audrey Andrist. Featuring the world premiere of a new work by American composer Jeff Scott, the program showcases works by American and Jewish composers whose work is represented in the Library’s performing arts collections, including Leonard Bernstein, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Margaret Bonds, Irving Fine, Arthur Berger, and Leo Smit. Register for tickets.

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.