News from the Library of Congress
December 2007
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December 30, 2007 (07-255)Economic Historian Herman Van der Wee To Discuss Globalization Through the Centuries, Jan. 17 Economic globalization is a new word for an old process, according to economic historian Herman Van der Wee, holder of the Chair of the Countries and Cultures of the North in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.
- Date: 2007-12-31
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December 27, 2007 (06-240)Economist Tim Harford Will Discuss Why the Rich Are Rich and the Poor Are Poor Economist Tim Harford will talk about his recent book “The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich and the Poor Are Poor * and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!” at the Library of Congress in February.
- Date: 2007-12-28
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December 26, 2007 (07-254)Librarian of Congress Announces National Film Registry Selections for 2007 Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today named 25 motion pictures— classics from every era of American filmmaking—to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, including “Bullitt,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” Grand Hotel,” “Oklahoma!” and “12 Angry Men.”
- Date: 2007-12-27
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December 19, 2007 (07-253)The Parking Garage and Its Impact on Urban Planning To Be Discussed at the Library of Congress on Jan. 15 The parking garage, often considered a dull and forgettable structure, is a crucial element of building design and urban planning. Architect Shannon Sanders McDonald will discuss “Designing for Man, Machine and Movement: The Parking Garage” at the Library of Congress at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, in the West Dining Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave.…
- Date: 2007-12-20
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December 18, 2007 (07-252)The U.S. Financial Siege of Japan Before Pearl Harbor To Be Discussed By Edward S. Miller on Jan. 15 Was the bombing of Pearl Harbor an unprovoked attack on the United States? According to a new book by Edward S. Miller, the Japanese motivation stemmed from U.S. plans to defeat Japan economically in the years before World War II. Miller will discuss his book, “Bankrupting the Enemy: The U.S. Financial Siege of Japan Before Pearl Harbor” at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 15, in…
- Date: 2007-12-19
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December 16, 2007 (07-250)Forthcoming Events at the Library of Congress Public Events at the Library of Congress for January 2008 through April 2008
- Date: 2007-12-17
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December 13, 2007 (07-251)Jewish Folktales are the Subject of Book Talk on Jan. 31 According to author Rita Roth, individuals are drawn to folktales because of “their simple, direct approach to meaningful life experience.” In her new book, “The Power of Song and Other Sephardic Tales,” Roth selected Jewish stories from several sources. These included 20,000 tales from immigrants to Israel located in the Israeli Folktale Archives in Haifa, in other historical collections and in recently published collections.…
- Date: 2007-12-14
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December 11, 2007 (07-248)Library of Congress Publishes Catalog of Items From the Jay I. Kislak Collection of the Early Americas “Collecting, for me, has always been an adventure, a journey of exploration … Over the years, the path of collecting has led me through wonderful passageways into history and cultures.” So explains Jay I. Kislak in his introductory note to “The Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress,” a broad introduction to Kislak’s gift to the Library. In 10 richly illustrated chapters,…
- Date: 2007-12-12
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December 10, 2007 (07-249)Book of Psalms is Subject of Jan. 17 Lecture By Author Debra Band The Book of Psalms is probably the best-known book of the Hebrew Bible. In her new book, “I Will Wake the Dawn: Illuminated Psalms,” author and artist Debra Band has selected 36 of the most well-known of the 150 psalms to interpret and illustrate. Band will deliver an illustrated lecture based on the book at noon on Thursday, Jan. 17, in the African and…
- Date: 2007-12-11
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December 9, 2007 (07-247)Poet Laureate Charles Simic and Other Noted Poets to be Featured in "The Poet and the Poem" Radio Series U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic and 19 other noted poets will be featured in the winter 2008 season of “The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress.”
- Date: 2007-12-10
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December 2, 2007 (07-242)New Book on the Making of Liberia To Be Featured at Books and Beyond Talk at the Library on Dec. 10 Marie Tyler-McGraw will present her arguments on the national and international significance of Virginia’s investment in Liberian colonization, discuss her research and sign her book, “An African Republic: Black and White Virginians in the Making of Liberia,” at noon on Monday, Dec. 10, in the West Dining Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave., S.E.
- Date: 2007-12-03
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December 2, 2007 (07-245)Library of Congress Makes Grant To Southeastern Louisiana University To Foster Instructional Use of Digital Materials The Library of Congress today made a grant to Southeastern Louisiana University to join a program designed to encourage the educational use of the Library’s vast collections of online primary source materials.
- Date: 2007-12-03
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December 2, 2007 (07-243)Images of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building Added to the Carol M. Highsmith Archive Distinguished architectural photographer Carol M. Highsmith, who began donating her work to the Prints and Photographs Division at the Library of Congress in 1992, has turned her lens on the Library itself. In more than 400 color digital images, Highsmith has captured both the artistry and symbolism of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, from the floor of the Great Hall to the dome of…
- Date: 2007-12-03
November 2007
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November 29, 2007 (07-244)Working Group on Bibliographic Control Releases Draft Report The Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control has released its draft report on the future of bibliographic description in light of advances in search engine technology, the popularity of the Internet and the influx of electronic information resources.
- Date: 2007-11-30
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November 28, 2007 (07-241)Law Library of Congress To Host Dec. 5 Panel Discussion With Experts On "Extraordinary Rendition" and the Constitution After 9/11, the Bush administration engaged in what is called “extraordinary rendition”— the transfer of suspected terrorists to countries known to employ harsh interrogation techniques that may rise to the level of torture. The impact of these policies on constitutional principles is the subject of a panel discussion to be held at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5 in the West Dining Room of…
- Date: 2007-11-29
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November 27, 2007 (07-232)"Pirates and Corsairs" Subject of Symposium on Dec. 8 An all-day symposium, “Pirates and Corsairs of the Americas in History and Literature,” will be held on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C.
- Date: 2007-11-28
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November 27, 2007 (07-233)Library of Congress Exhibition Begins Transformation of Public Spaces Through Merger of Knowledge, Technology A new exhibition opening Dec. 13 marks the beginning of a months-long transformation of public spaces in the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building into an experience for visitors that merges cutting-edge technology with the knowledge and inspiration embodied in the Library’s unparalleled collections and curators.
- Date: 2007-11-28
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November 26, 2007 (07-240)Poet Laureate Charles Simic to Introduce Poets Jorie Graham and James Tate, Dec. 6 U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic will introduce Pulitzer Prize-winning poets Jorie Graham and James Tate, who will read from their works at the Library of Congress on Dec. 6.
- Date: 2007-11-27
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November 25, 2007 (07-236)Library of Congress, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and OCLC Enhance VIAF Project The Library of Congress, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and OCLC have signed a memorandum of understanding to extend and enhance the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF), a project that virtually combines multiple name authority files into a single name authority service.
- Date: 2007-11-26
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November 19, 2007 (07-238)Ronald Florence To Discuss New Book on History of Arab-Israeli Conflict on Dec. 3 Florence will discuss his book "Lawrence and Aaronsohn: T.E. Lawrence, Aaronsohn and the Seeds of the Arab-Israel Conflict" at the Library of Congress at noon on Monday, Dec. 3 in the Mary Pickford Theater, located on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
- Date: 2007-11-20
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November 18, 2007 (07-237)Symposium on 150th Anniversary of J & R Lamb Studios at Library of Congress, Nov. 28 Art and architectural historians and design community insiders will assemble at the Library of Congress for a symposium on Nov. 28 celebrating 150 years of J & R Lamb Studios, America’s oldest continuously-run decorative arts firm, which preceded and influenced the studios of both John LaFarge and Louis C. Tiffany.
- Date: 2007-11-19
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November 13, 2007 (07-235)Religious Rights of Native Americans is Subject of Law Panel on Nov. 28 During the past four decades, Congress has enacted legislation to protect the religious and civil rights of Native Americans, but tribal communities have achieved fewer victories through litigation in the state courts. This disparity is the subject of a panel discussion titled “Indian Religious Freedom, to Litigate or Legislate,” to be held at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 28, in the West Dining Room of…
- Date: 2007-11-14
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November 13, 2007 (07-A04)Change in Access to AMED Reading Room From Monday, Nov. 19 through Thursday, Dec. 13, regular access to the Library's African and Middle Eastern Reading Room will change.
- Date: 2007-11-14
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November 12, 2007 (07-214)Martha Anderson Named Director of Program Management for Digital Preservation Program Martha Anderson was today named director of program management for the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP).
- Date: 2007-11-13
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November 8, 2007 (07-229)The History and Curse of the Hope Diamond To Be Discused at the Library on Nov. 16 Richard Kurin, director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, will discuss and sign his book “Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem” at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16 in the Mary Pickford Theater on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
- Date: 2007-11-09
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November 7, 2007 (07-228)William F. May To Discuss "Containing Fear in Foreign Policy" at the Library of Congress Nov. 29 “Containing Runaway Fear in Foreign Policy: Recovering Our National Identity” will be discussed by William F. May, holder of the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in American History and Ethics, at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.
- Date: 2007-11-08
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November 7, 2007 (07-230)House and Senate Pass Bipartisan Resolution to Establish "National Veterans History Project Week" The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed bipartisan resolutions that designate the week of November 11 through November 17, 2007, as "National Veterans History Project Week."
- Date: 2007-11-08
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November 6, 2007 (07-227)"Discovery! The Search for Arabian Oil" Discussed at Library of Congress, Nov. 28 Timothy J. Barger and Thomas W. Lippman will examine this significant period in history when they discuss a book at the Library of Congress by the late, award-winning author Wallace Stegner titled “Discovery! The Search for Arabian Oil.”
- Date: 2007-11-07
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November 5, 2007 (07-226)Veterans History Project Spotlights WWII Stories from China-Burma-India The Library of Congress Veterans History Project, a program of the American Folklife Center, will feature a special series of narratives from World War II’s China-Burma-India Theater via the project’s Web site www.loc.gov/vets/.
- Date: 2007-11-06
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November 4, 2007 (07-224)John Philip Sousa, "The March King," Subject of New Web Site To commemorate the birthday of world-renowned bandleader and composer John Philip Sousa on Nov. 6, 1854, a new Web site dedicated to the composer of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” is now available from the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov/lcp.
- Date: 2007-11-05
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November 4, 2007 (07-225)Silent Movies Are Subject of New Library Publication In his new book, “Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture,” Peter Kobel has created the definitive visual history of silent film. Published this month by the Library of Congress in association with Little, Brown & Co., this richly illustrated work draws on the Library’s extraordinary collection of posters, paper prints, film stills and memorabilia—most of which has never…
- Date: 2007-11-05
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November 1, 2007 (07-222)History of FBI Counterintelligence Is Topic of Lecture at the Library On Nov. 8 Raymond J. Batvinis, former FBI special agent, presents an early history of the FBI in a lecture at the Library of Congress.
- Date: 2007-11-02
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November 1, 2007 (07-223)NLS Director Recognized by Braille Institute of America The director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) received the 2006 Golden Cassette Award for Library Partnership from the Braille Institute of America Library Services.
- Date: 2007-11-02
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October 31, 2007 (07-221)Shakespeare's Genealogies To Be Discussed On Nov. 7 William Shakespeare was fascinated with family dynamics, often using them to fuel his plots with familial jealousy, lust, murder, mistaken identity and long-lost siblings. Vanessa James, professor of theater arts at Mount Holyoke College, unravels these lineages in a lecture at the Library of Congress.
- Date: 2007-11-01
October 2007
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October 29, 2007 (07-219)Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control To Present Draft Report on Nov. 13 In November 2006, Deanna Marcum, associate librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress, convened a Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control to examine the future of bibliographic description in the 21st century in light of advances in search engine technology, the popularity of the Internet and the influx of electronic information resources.
- Date: 2007-10-30
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October 29, 2007 (07-220)Writers From Iowa's International Writing Program Will Read Their Works, Nov. 15 Writers from the distinguished International Writing Program at the University of Iowa will read from their works at the Library of Congress at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC.
- Date: 2007-10-30
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October 28, 2007 (07-218)Library of Congress Offers Information on Fire Recovery for Collections In response to the fires in Southern California and the resulting damage to personal and public collections, the Library of Congress has updated its preservation Web page on emergency care.
- Date: 2007-10-29
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October 28, 2007 (07-217)New Center for the Book Publication To Be Featured at Book History Symposium on Nov. 2 The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the University of Massachusetts Press has published “Agent of Change: Print Culture Studies After Elizabeth L. Eisenstein.” A symposium featuring several of the contributors to the volume will be held on Friday, Nov. 2, from 2 – 5 p.m., in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave.,…
- Date: 2007-10-29
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October 24, 2007 (07-213)Library of Congress Collaborates with Xerox To Test Format for Digitally Preserving, Accessing Treasured Images As part of the Library of Congress’s mission to ensure that America’s history and heritage are available and accessible for generations to come, the Library and Xerox Corporation are working together on a project to develop better ways to store, preserve and access treasured digital images.
- Date: 2007-10-25
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October 24, 2007 (07-215)"Concerts from the Library of Congress" Radio Series To Launch on Nov. 5 Beginning in November, the Library of Congress Music Division, WETA-FM and CD Syndications will be launching a 13-week classical music radio series slated for broadcast nationwide.
- Date: 2007-10-25
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October 22, 2007 (07-212)Tribute To Writer, Philosopher Nikos Kazantzakis on Nov. 1 The Library of Congress and the Embassy of Greece will celebrate Nikos Kazantzakis, considered one of the most important Greek writers, poets and philosophers of the 20th century, in a tribute on November 1.
- Date: 2007-10-23
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October 22, 2007 (07-216)Poets from MacDowell Colony To Read on Nov. 8 In celebration of The MacDowell Colony’s 100th anniversary, three poets will read from their works and from the poetry of three U.S. Poet Laureates, all alumni of the famous writers’ and artists’ residency workshop in New Hampshire.
- Date: 2007-10-23
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October 21, 2007 (07-194)Library of Congress Partners with British, Canadian and Australian National Libraries on RDA Implementation Four national libraries have joined forces to implement a new standard for resource description and access designed for the digital environment in which libraries now operate. The Library of Congress, the British Library, Library and Archives Canada, and the National Library of Australia have agreed on a coordinated implementation of "RDA: Resource Description and Access," the successor to the "Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules."
- Date: 2007-10-22
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October 21, 2007 (07-204)New Guide to Library's Air and Space Collections Is Published The possibility of flight captured human imagination long before the Montgolfier brothers’ unmanned hot air balloon succeeded in carrying a duck, a rooster and a sheep above the city of Versailles in 1783.
- Date: 2007-10-22
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October 21, 2007 (07-210)The MacDowell Colony Is Subject of New Book To Be Discussed on Oct. 30 The Library’s commemoration of the centennial of The MacDowell Colony continues at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 30, when senior music specialist Robin Rausch discusses and signs the book “A Place for the Arts: The MacDowell Colony, 1907-2007” in the Pickford Theater on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave.S.E., Washington, D.C.
- Date: 2007-10-22
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October 21, 2007 (07-211)W.S. Merwin, Winner of the Bobbitt Poetry Prize, Will Read, Oct. 31 Celebrated poet W.S. Merwin will receive the 2006 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry and read selections of his work at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
- Date: 2007-10-22
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October 18, 2007 (07-209)ALA President Loriene Roy To Speak on Nov. 2 In honor of Native American Heritage Month, American Library Association (ALA) President Loriene Roy will deliver a lecture at noon on Friday, Nov. 2, in the Mumford Room, located on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
- Date: 2007-10-19
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October 16, 2007 (07-196)Library of Congress and UNESCO Sign World Digital Library Agreement Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and UNESCO Assistant Director for Communication and Information Abdul Waheed Khan today signed an agreement at UNESCO headquarters in Paris pledging cooperative efforts to build a World Digital Library Web site.
- Date: 2007-10-17
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October 14, 2007 (07-207)"The Last Jews of Libya" To Be Shown at the Library of Congress on Nov. 5 More than 36,000 Jews lived in Libya at the end of World War II, but not a single one remains today. “The Last Jews of Libya,” which documents the final decades of a centuries-old Sephardic Jewish community, will be shown at noon on Nov. 5 at the Library of Congress.
- Date: 2007-10-15
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October 11, 2007 (07-205)Rep. Tom Cole To Deliver Native American Heritage Keynote Address on Nov. 6 On Nov. 6, five years to the day after being elected to represent Oklahoma’s 4th congressional district, Rep. Tom Cole will deliver the keynote address for the Library’s 2007 celebration of Native American Heritage Month.
- Date: 2007-10-12