Press Releases

In cooperation with the Office of Communications, the African & Middle Eastern Division regularly publishes press releases about its latest activities. Past releases can be viewed below.

Those interested in staying informed can also subscribe to the Library’s International Collections blog, “4 Corners of the World,” or follow the Library’s International Collections Facebook page External to learn about new collection acquisitions, little-known items, Library treasures, digital initiatives, and upcoming events related to the African & Middle Eastern Division.

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    August 21, 2023  (23-070)
    Library of Congress Releases Newly Digitized Hebrew Manuscripts The Library of Congress has released some 230 newly digitized manuscripts written in Hebrew and similar languages such as Judeo-Arabic, Judeo-Persian and Yiddish. The collection, available online for researchers and the public for the first time, includes a 14th century collection of responsa by Solomon ibn Adret of Barcelona, considered one of the most prominent authorities on Jewish law of all time.The full digital…
    • Date: 2023-08-22
  • February 13, 2023  (23-017)
    Library of Congress Receives $2.5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. The Library of Congress has received a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The grant will support the launch of Library programs to enhance public understanding of religious cultures in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia over a five-year period.This is the largest Lilly Endowment grant to the Library of Congress, and the largest private…
    • Date: 2023-02-14
  • February 6, 2023  (23-007)
    Library of Congress Releases Newly Digitized Colonial-era African Postcards The Library of Congress has announced the initial release of over 1,300 newly digitized postcards from the Africana Historic Postcard Collection, which depicts life under French, Italian, German, Belgian and British colonial rule in sub-Saharan Africa from the 1890s until the end of the 1930s.More than 5,000 colonial-era postcards will comprise the online collection in the future to help researchers, teachers and students, and…
    • Date: 2023-02-07
  • June 12, 2022  (22-051)
    Library of Congress Holds Online Workshops to Foster Understanding of Islam The Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division will host four workshops focusing on “Islam in Africa and the Middle East” beginning Friday, June 17, and continuing through November to foster a better understanding of Islamic culture. The online workshops are part of the Exploring Challenging Conversations planning project funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. to enhance public awareness of cross-regional…
    • Date: 2022-06-13
  • May 4, 2022  (22-036)
    Three-Part Series of Interviews with Award-Winning African Writers Debuts During Africa Month Celebrations A three-part series of interviews with award-winning African writers will debut at the Library of Congress beginning today to coincide with Africa Month, an increasingly popular celebration of the continent’s peoples, cultures and history. The interviews are part of the “Conversations with African Poets and Writers Series” produced by the Library’s African and Middle Eastern Division since 2008 to promote a greater cross-cultural understanding…
    • Date: 2022-05-05
  • August 2, 2020  (20-049)
    Library of Congress Appoints New Chief of African and Middle Eastern Division The Library of Congress has appointed Lanisa Kitchiner as chief of the African and Middle Eastern Division. Kitchiner brings more than 18 years’ experience as an administrator of cultural institutions and an academic mobilizing knowledge around Africa’s cultural and historical ties to the Middle East.Kitchiner most recently served as director of education and scholarly initiatives at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art…
    • Date: 2020-08-03
  • July 28, 2019  (19-073)
    Rare 2,000-Year-Old Text of Early Buddhism Now Online The Library of Congress has restored and made available online the Gandhara Scroll, a manuscript dating back to around the first century B.C., that offers insight into early Buddhist history. The scroll is one of the world’s oldest Buddhist manuscripts.The scroll originates from Gandhara, an ancient Buddhist region located in what is now the northern border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The scroll tells…
    • Date: 2019-07-29
  • April 25, 2019  (19-043)
    Summer Is Coming: "Travel Around the World" Exploring Culture And Science through Library Events This summer, the Library of Congress will bring you a host of events on a variety of topics. Concerts, lectures, film screenings, symposiums and special events all fill the public events calendar. Events will take place in the Thomas Jefferson Building (10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. 20540) or the James Madison Memorial Building (101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20540). Please note that…
    • Date: 2019-04-26
  • April 18, 2019  (19-042)
    "Jioni wa Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o" (An Evening with Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o) Award-winning author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o presents his recently released publication titled, “Minutes of Glory And Other Stories” at the Library of Congress.Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o will give a public reading of his 34th publication on Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in the historic Coolidge Auditorium in the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C. Pre-event reception begins at 6 p.m. The event is free, but…
    • Date: 2019-04-19
  • March 31, 2019  (19-036)
    1,000 Years of Literary Tradition in Rare Persian-Language Manuscripts Now Online at Library of Congress In celebration of the Persian New Year, also known as Nowruz, the Library of Congress has digitized and made available online for the first time the Rare Persian-Language Manuscript Collection, which sheds light on scientific, religious, philosophical and literary topics that are highly valued in the Persian speaking lands.This collection, including 150 manuscripts with some dating back to the 13th century, also reflects the…
    • Date: 2019-04-01
  • January 27, 2019  (19-007)
    Theatrical Readings and Panel Discussions Among Highlights of African-American History Month The Library of Congress will host several events throughout February that celebrate African Americans and their contributions to the fabric of American culture and history. All of the following events are free and open to the public.“Conversation on the Omar Ibn Said Collection at the Library of Congress”Tuesday, February 5; 10 a.m.LJ-119, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St., S.E., Washington, In celebration of the…
    • Date: 2019-01-28
  • January 21, 2019  (19-006)
    Spring Is Coming: Symposiums and Celebrations Highlight the Library's Event Calendar This spring, the Library of Congress will bring you a host of events on a variety of topics. Concerts, lectures, film screenings, symposiums and special events all fill the public events calendar. Events will take place in the Thomas Jefferson Building (10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. 20540) or the James Madison Memorial Building (101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20540). Please note that…
    • Date: 2019-01-22
  • January 14, 2019  (19-004)
    Unique Autobiography Written in Arabic by an Enslaved Scholar Goes Online at the Library of Congress The Library of Congress has acquired and made available online the Omar Ibn Said Collection, which includes the only known extant narrative written in Arabic by an enslaved person in the United States. In 1831, Omar Ibn Said, a wealthy and highly educated man who was captured in Senegal, Africa, and brought to Charleston, South Carolina, as a slave, wrote a 15-page autobiography describing…
    • Date: 2019-01-15
  • June 14, 2018  (18-078)
    22nd Vardanants Day Armenian Lecture June 26 International scholars will take part in a conference, part of the 22nd Vardanants Day Armenian lecture series, titled “New Topics in Armenian History and Culture.” The conference, which will explore the linguistic, artistic, social and musical history of Armenia, will take place on Tuesday, June 26, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in room LJ119 of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, located at 10 First Street…
    • Date: 2018-06-15
  • March 7, 2018  (18-017)
    Library of Congress Offers Free Spring Activities Spring season brings warm temperatures, fresh flowers and free Library of Congress programming celebrating women in history, poetry, literature, art and science while introducing patrons to international culture and history with lectures, symposiums, book talks and a pop-up display.The Library recently announced the official events that will be held in conjunction with the National Cherry Blossom Festival , as well as a host of…
    • Date: 2018-03-08
  • February 21, 2018  (18-016)
    Women's History Month Events at the Library of Congress The Library of Congress will host an array of events and programming throughout March that celebrate and commemorate women and their contributions to STEM, history, civil rights, justice and the arts. All of the following events are free and open to the public.The Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden will host two discussions with five women in the arts. These events will also be livestreamed…
    • Date: 2018-02-22
  • December 7, 2017  (17-176)
    Spend the Chilly Months Inside the Library of Congress This winter season, the Library will host a multitude of free programming that highlight musical genius, showcase film, open the doors of the Main Reading Room and introduces patrons to a world of knowledge and recent findings with lectures, symposiums and book talks. Winter is the perfect time for music enthusiasts to reserve their tickets for the spring “Concerts from the Library of Congress”…
    • Date: 2017-12-08
  • September 10, 2017  (17-118)
    Autumn Events at the Library of Congress The Library of Congress will host an array of programming this fall season that celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, welcomes a new poet laureate and introduces new ways to experience the nation’s library through author talks, tours and online offerings. After opening with a spectacular 2017 National Book Festival, the Library is following up with a commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month, beginning Sept. 15 with…
    • Date: 2017-09-11
  • August 7, 2017  (17-110)
    Novelist Chris Bohjalian to Deliver the 21st Vardanants Day Lecture Best-selling Armenian-American author Chris Bohjalian will deliver the 21st Vardanants Day Armenian lecture, titled “Echoes of Anatolia: An Armenian-American Novelist Discovers his Literary DNA at Mid-life.” Bohjalian’s lecture, which will explore the influence of ethnic identity on literary creativity, will take place at noon on Friday, Sept. 1 in the Northeast Pavilion of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, located at 10 First Street S.E.,…
    • Date: 2017-08-08
  • May 8, 2017  (17-071)
    Ancient Sasanian Empire Subject of June Symposium The African and Middle Eastern Division at the Library of Congress (AMED), in cooperation with the Iranian-American Alumni of the Alborz High School will present a symposium on the legacy of the ancient Persian Sasanian empire (224–651 AD). The event is part of an annual series of symposia on the ancient civilizations of the Near East organized by AMED at the Library of Congress."From…
    • Date: 2017-05-09
  • April 23, 2017  (17-056)
    Forthcoming Events at the Library of Congress May-July 2017 Note: Events subject to change; all telephone numbers are 202 area code; additional venue information provided below listingsMay 1 – June 30DISPLAYOngoing display of JFK materials that includes special biographical information about JFK and books written by the former president. Also featured are books about Kennedy in foreign languages. Available for view Monday - Saturday, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. in the Great Hall South…
    • Date: 2017-04-24
  • December 21, 2016  (16-216)
    Forthcoming Events at the Library of Congress (Events subject to change; all telephone numbers are 202 area code) ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLICMondayJan. 2NEW YEAR’S DAY HOLIDAYAll buildings will be closed in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday. Contact: 707-8000.FridayJan. 6FILM“Citizen Kane” (RKO, 1941). 7:30 p.m., Packard Campus Theater, Culpeper, Va. Contact: 707-9994.SaturdayJan. 7FILM"Fargo” (Gramercy, 1996, R-rated). 7:30 p.m., Packard Campus Theater, Culpeper, Va. Contact: 707-9994.SundayJan. 8FILM“The…
    • Date: 2016-12-22
  • August 10, 2016  (16-128)
    Vardanants Day Lecture to Mark 25th Anniversary of the Armenian Republic Christina Maranci will deliver the 20th Vardanants Day Armenian Lecture at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 21 in the Northeast Pavilion of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, located at 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C.
    • Date: 2016-08-11
  • July 26, 2016  (16-125)
    Library of Congress Junior Fellows Display Collection Treasures The Library of Congress Junior Fellows Summer Interns today presentedmore than 100 rare and unique items from 17 Library divisions. The display provides the opportunity for fellows to discuss the historic significance of the collection items they have researched during their 10-week internship.
    • Date: 2016-07-27
  • May 31, 2016  (16-098)
    Ancient Assyrian Legacy Subject of June Symposium On June 10, the Library of Congress will present a symposium on the ancient Assyrian civilization and its contemporary manifestation.
    • Date: 2016-06-01
  • May 30, 2016  (16-094)
    Library of Congress Appoints Junior Fellows to 2016 Summer Intern Program A panel of Library curators and specialists has selected 38 undergraduate and graduate students from among nearly 800 applicants to participate in the Library’s 2016 Junior Fellows Summer Intern Program.
    • Date: 2016-05-31
  • December 21, 2015  (15-219)
    Public Events at the Library of Congress Events January - April 2016
    • Date: 2015-12-22
  • November 15, 2015  (15-204)
    Islamic Law Reform Subject of Human Rights Day Program Dec. 8 In recognition of Human Rights Day, the Library of Congress will host a panel discussion on Islamic law reform on Dec. 8.
    • Date: 2015-11-16
  • August 17, 2015  (15-145)
    Armenian Literary Tradition Is Subject of E-Book A volume marking the 500th anniversary of Armenian printing is now available as an eBook from the Library of Congress.
    • Date: 2015-08-18
  • August 2, 2015  (15-121)
    Documentary Filmmaker Melissa Donovan to Screen, Discuss "Zemene" The Library will host on Aug. 12 a film screening of “Zemene” and a talk by filmmaker Melissa Donovan.
    • Date: 2015-08-03
  • June 7, 2015  (15-102)
    Black Literature and Literacy Subject of June 19 Symposium To mark the 150th anniversary of the Juneteenth observance, the Library of Congress will present a symposium on Juneteenth, which explores the topics of literature, literacy and the creative arts in the African Diaspora.
    • Date: 2015-06-08
  • May 17, 2015  (15-087)
    Ancient City of Tyre is Subject of June 3 Symposium On June 3, the Library of Congress will present a symposium on the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre.
    • Date: 2015-05-18
  • April 8, 2015  (15-052)
    Carnegie Endowment Fellow to Deliver Vardanants Day Lecture At the Library of Congress Susan B. Harper will deliver the 19th Annual Vardanants Day Armenian Lecture at the Library of Congress at noon on Thursday, May 7, in the Northeast Pavilion of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building located at 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C.
    • Date: 2015-04-09
  • February 12, 2015  (15-026)
    Library of Congress to Host Swahili Symposium on March 5 The Library of Congress, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art, will present “Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: Eastern Africa’s ‘Swahili’ Civilization, Oman and the Gulf” on March 5.
    • Date: 2015-02-13
  • October 19, 2014  (14-185)
    Library of Congress to Host International Writing Program Showcase Nov. 6 Sixteen writers from the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program (IWP) will be featured at the Library of Congress inaugural “International Writers Program Showcase” on Nov. 6.
    • Date: 2014-10-20
  • July 6, 2014  (14-116)
    Sudanese Author al-Tayyib Salih Subject of Symposium at the Library Aug. 4 Sudanese author al-Tayyib Salih (1929-2009) is the subject of an international symposium to be held at the Library of Congress 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 4. The symposium will be followed that evening by a musical and theatrical program focusing on al-Tayyib Salih’s work.
    • Date: 2014-07-07
  • March 23, 2014  (14-053)
    Lecture Series to Accompany Library of Congress Exhibition "A Thousand Years of the Persian Book" In conjunction with its exhibition “A Thousand Years of the Persian Book,” the Library of Congress will offer a series of lectures from April through September that examines the Persian-language literary tradition.
    • Date: 2014-03-24
  • March 19, 2014  (14-051)
    DNA and Armenian Origin Subject of 18th Annual Vardanants Day Lecture Hovann Simonian and Peter Hrechdakian, administrators of the Armenian DNA Project, will deliver the 18th Annual Vardanants Day Armenian Lecture on April 22.
    • Date: 2014-03-20
  • March 10, 2014  (14-044)
    Library Celebrates Opening of Persian Book Exhibition with Lecture, Panel Discussion The Library of Congress will celebrate the March 27 opening of its exhibition “A Thousand Years of the Persian Book” with a day-long program that includes a lecture and a panel discussion on Persian manuscripts and the tradition of manuscript-making in Persian-speaking lands.
    • Date: 2014-03-11
  • February 25, 2014  (14-037)
    "A Thousand Years of the Persian Book" Exhibition Opens at Library of Congress March 27 An exhibition at the Library of Congress will explore the rich literary tradition of the Persian language over the last millennium, from illuminated manuscripts to contemporary publications.
    • Date: 2014-02-26
  • September 5, 2013  (13-146)
    Armenian Language is Subject of 17th Annual Vardanants Day Lecture Renowned linguist Charles de Lamberterie will deliver the 17th Annual Vardanants Day Armenian Lecture at noon on Thursday, Sept. 19.
    • Date: 2013-09-06
  • May 28, 2013  (13-111)
    Library of Congress Appoints Junior Fellows to 2013 Summer Intern Program A panel of Library curators and specialists has selected 41 college students from among more than 1,100 applicants to participate in the Library’s 2013 Junior Fellows Summer Intern Program.
    • Date: 2013-05-29
  • May 9, 2013  (13-091)
    Islamic Law in Transitioning Arab Spring Countries Subject of June 4 Program The Law Library of Congress and the Library’s African and Middle Eastern Division will host a panel discussion on the role and impact of Islamic law in the developing constitutions and laws of transitioning countries in the Middle East/North Africa region.
    • Date: 2013-05-10
  • May 5, 2013  (13-087)
    The Life and Works of Naguib Mahfouz Subject of Symposium Egyptian author and screen playwright Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006), the 1988 Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature, is the subject of an international symposium to be held at the Library of Congress on May 14, 2013.
    • Date: 2013-05-06
  • April 11, 2013  (13-071)
    Baseball Great Hank Greenberg is Subject of Jewish American Heritage Month Program To mark Jewish American Heritage Month, the Library of Congress will present a talk by documentary filmmaker Aviva Kempner, featuring clips from the newly expanded 2-disc DVD edition of her 2001 Peabody Award-winning film, “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg.”
    • Date: 2013-04-12
  • September 23, 2012  (12-178)
    New Library Exhibition Marks Centennial of Hebraic Collection The Library is celebrating the centennial of its Hebraic Collection with an exhibition titled “Words Like Sapphires: 100 Years of Hebraica at the Library of Congress, 1912-2012,” on view from Oct. 25, 2012, through April 13, 2013.
    • Date: 2012-09-24
  • August 7, 2012  (12-147)
    Library of Congress Hosts September Symposium on Yiddish Radio The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress will present a symposium on “The Stations That Spoke Your Language: Radio and the Yiddish-American Cultural Renaissance” Sept. 6-7.
    • Date: 2012-08-08
  • June 13, 2012  (12-120)
    Library of Congress to Mark Centennial of Hebraic Collection With Publication, Exhibition The Library is celebrating the centennial of its Hebraic Collection with the publication this month of “Perspectives on the Hebraic Book: The Myron M. Weinstein Memorial Lectures at the Library of Congress” and an exhibition titled “Words Like Sapphires: 100 Years of Hebraica at the Library of Congr
    • Date: 2012-06-14
  • May 14, 2012  (12-102)
    Arab Novelist Jurji Zaydan Subject of June 5 Symposium A symposium titled “Jurji Zaydan: His Contribution to Modern Arab Thought and Literature” will bring together scholars from the Arab world, Europe and North America to present papers and discuss the life and work of the noted Arab novelist, journalist and publisher.
    • Date: 2012-05-15
  • April 17, 2012  (12-084)
    Library Marks 500th Anniversary of Armenian Printing With Exhibition, Publication The Library will open an exhibition to mark the quincentenary of Armenian printing.
    • Date: 2012-04-18