February 3, 2025 Join the Library of Congress for a Douglass Day 2025 Transcribe-a-Thon and Other Black History Month Events
Press Contact: María Peña, mpena@loc.gov | Elaina Finkelstein, efinkelstein@loc.gov

On Feb. 14, history enthusiasts and the public can celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Frederick Douglass by joining a virtual transcribe-a-thon of rare books and manuscripts on African American history on Douglass Day. In 2024, Library of Congress volunteers shattered records by completing 16,000 transcription actions on Douglass Day.
Hosted by the Library’s By the People program, this virtual event celebrates Douglass’ chosen birthday and a day of service to Black history. This year’s theme, “You Make History,” emphasizes how everyone can contribute to safeguarding stories of the past for future generations.
Volunteers will transcribe treasures from the Library’s collections, including materials from the Daniel A.P. Murray Collection, the NACCP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Records, and the Booker T. Washington Papers. These transcriptions make historical documents more accessible and keyword searchable, ensuring volunteers’ impact reaches far and wide.
This is the third year of the Library’s collaboration with Douglass Day, organized by the Center for Black Digital Research at Pennsylvania State University. Each Douglass Day since 2017, thousands of volunteers worldwide come together to help transcribe and learn about an online collection of Black history and culture. In addition to the all-day transcribe-a-thon, participants can enjoy a livestream featuring transcription tips, expert speakers, and a celebration of Douglass’ enduring legacy. For more information about Douglass Day and the By the People transcription program, visit crowd.loc.gov.
The Library also invites educators and librarians to explore “The Civil Rights Movement,” a new book published in December that includes primary source materials from the Library’s collections highlighting the era’s most frequently taught milestones. Published by the American Library Association in association with the Library of Congress, the inaugural publication is part of the Discover and Learn with the Library series, which provides classroom-ready materials for teachers, librarians, and home educators working with grades 6-12. The book is available from the Library of Congress Shopify site and from the ALA store.
In February, join the Library for these events focused on Black History Month:
Feb. 13: Enjoy a special screening of the film “Countdown at Kusini” (1976) at the Pickford Theatre in the James Madison Building. Directed by Ossie Davis and starring Davis and Ruby Dee. Seating is on a first-come first-serve basis.
Feb. 20: Come listen to Douglas Kearny in conversation with Washington Post Book Critic Ron Charles about his groundbreaking new collection of visual poems, “I Imagine I Been Science Fiction Always.” Get tickets.
Feb. 27: Enjoy an evening of R&B and Soul Line dancing with “Queen Nur,” in addition to workshops for beginners to learn basic steps such as the cha-cha, salsa and derivatives of swing. Get 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.
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PR 25-011
2025-02-04
ISSN 0731-3527