In cooperation with the Office of Communications, the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center regularly publishes press releases about its latest activities. Included are recent acquisitions, digital initiatives, and screenings. Past releases can be viewed below. Those interested in staying informed can also subscribe to our blog, “Now See Hear.”
Press Releases
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June 26, 2024 (24-056)Library of Congress Acquires House of Blues Radio Collection The Library of Congress has acquired the House of Blues Radio Hour spanning 20 years’ worth of programs that promoted the blues, introduced new audiences to the popular music genre and showcased emerging talent. Hosted by celebrity actor-musician Dan Aykroyd, the series was a soulful journey through a cornerstone of American music, offering poignant interviews and stories of blues legends past and present, including…
- Date: 2024-06-27
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December 12, 2023 (23-101)25 Films Selected for Preservation in National Film Registry Twenty-five influential films have been selected for the 2023 Library of Congress National Film Registry, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today. The films are selected each year for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.The newest selections include a diverse group of films, filmmakers and Hollywood landmarks exploring the drama of history, social justice and reform, the experiences…
- Date: 2023-12-13
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December 6, 2023 (23-099)American Archive of Public Broadcasting Preserves 2,000 'Le Show' Radio Programs This December, to mark the 40th anniversary of celebrated actor, author, director, musician, political satirist and broadcaster Harry Shearer’s weekly hour-long public radio series “Le Show,” the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, a collaboration between the Library of Congress and Boston public media producer GBH, is launching the “Le Show” Collection, a publicly accessible digital archive of more than 2,000 hours of broadcasts, stretching…
- Date: 2023-12-07
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October 3, 2023 (23-A04)Library Open for Federal Holiday Oct. 9 The Library of Congress will be open to visitors with timed-entry passes on the federal Columbus Day holiday, Monday, October 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including public spaces in the Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions.In addition, the Main Reading Room in the Jefferson building will be open for visitors to view from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. via the Great Hall…
- Date: 2023-10-04
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October 17, 2022 (22-122)Fourth Annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize Awarded to Two Films 'Bella!' and 'Philly on Fire' The Better Angels Society, the Library of Congress, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced two winners for the fourth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film: “Bella!”, directed by Jeff L. Lieberman, and “Philly on Fire,” directed by Ross Hockrow and Tommy Walker. The filmmakers will each receive a $200,000 finishing grant to help with final production and distribution.“Bella!” tells…
- Date: 2022-10-18
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April 12, 2022 (22-026)National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022 Alicia Keys’ debut album “Songs in A Minor,” Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” are some of the unforgettable sounds of the nation’s history and culture joining the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. The 2022 class includes important inductions of hip-hop and Latin music, including recordings by Linda Ronstadt, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan and…
- Date: 2022-04-13
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January 12, 2022 (22-002)Lionel Richie to Receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced that pop music icon Lionel Richie will be the next recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Richie will be honored with an all-star tribute concert in Washington, D.C., that will be broadcast nationally on PBS stations May 17 at 9 p.m. ET.A songwriting superstar of the first order, Richie is known for…
- Date: 2022-01-13
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December 13, 2021 (21-078)'Return of the Jedi' Among 25 Eclectic Films Joining National Film Registry Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today the annual selection of 25 influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Selected for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage, the newest selections include epic trilogies, major roles for Jennifer Lopez and Cicely Tyson, extraordinary animated features, comedy and music, and films…
- Date: 2021-12-14
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November 9, 2021 (21-067)Librarian of Congress Appoints 44 Experts to National Film Preservation Board Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced the latest appointments to the 44-member National Film Preservation Board. The board advises Hayden on annual selections to the National Film Registry as well as national film preservation policy.The National Film Preservation Board began work when President Ronald Reagan signed the National Film Preservation Act of 1988.The 44-person board represents many parts of the film community, including…
- Date: 2021-11-10
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October 25, 2021 (21-065)"Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit" Wins 2021 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize; "Free Chol Soo Lee" Runner-Up The Better Angels Society, a non-profit dedicated to the exploration of American history through documentary film, today announced the documentary film “Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit,” directed by Sam Katz and James McGovern, is the winner of the 2021 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. The filmmakers will receive finishing funding of $200,000.“Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit,” explores…
- Date: 2021-10-26
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May 26, 2021 (21-026)New Report Examines Changes to Copyright Law for Sound Recordings Significant updates have been made to American copyright law governing music licensing and sound recordings, and these changes carry implications for libraries and archives across the country, as detailed in a new report published today by the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress.Passed by Congress in 2018, the Orrin G. Hatch — Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act constitutes some of the…
- Date: 2021-05-27
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March 23, 2021 (21-015)National Recording Registry Adds 'Rhythm Nation' Among 25 New Selections Janet Jackson’s clarion call for action and healing in “Rhythm Nation 1814” now joins other groundbreaking sounds of history and culture among the latest titles inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, including Louis Armstrong’s “When the Saints Go Marching In,” Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” Nas’ “Illmatic,” Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration,” and Kermit the Frog’s “The Rainbow Connection.”Librarian of Congress…
- Date: 2021-03-24
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December 13, 2020 (20-082)National Film Registry Spotlights Diverse Filmmakers in New Selections Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today the annual selection of 25 of America’s most influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. These films range from the innovative silent film “Suspense,” which was co-directed by a woman in 1913, and Sidney Poitier’s Oscar-winning performance in 1963’s “Lilies of the Field” to the 1978 mega-hit musical…
- Date: 2020-12-14
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July 8, 2020 (20-047)Historic Public Affairs Series "Black Journal" Now Available Online at the American Archive of Public Broadcasting A collection of episodes from “Black Journal,” the first nationally televised public affairs program produced for, about, and by Black Americans has been released by The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB), a collaboration between WGBH and the Library of Congress.Largely unseen since they aired between 1968 and 1977, the 59 episodes have been digitized from archival tape in the Library’s collection and are…
- Date: 2020-07-09
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April 23, 2020 (20-031)Library of Congress Needs a Few Citizen DJs The Library of Congress is celebrating its 220th birthday today with a present for music-makers and music-lovers everywhere: a chance to play with Citizen DJ, a groundbreaking project that inspires hip-hop music-making from home and opens new doors into the Library’s extensive audio collections.Citizen DJ is an open-source web-browser application created by Library of Congress 2020 Innovator in Residence Brian Foo in partnership with…
- Date: 2020-04-24
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March 24, 2020 (20-023)National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist The gentle sounds of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”; Russ Hodges’ thrilling play-by-play of the National League tiebreaker between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951; the Village People’s international dance anthem, “Y.M.C.A.”; “Cheap Trick at Budokan”; and the original 1964 Broadway cast recording of “Fiddler on the Roof” are among the newest recordings inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library…
- Date: 2020-03-25
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May 22, 2019 (19-057)Library's Cinematic Quest for "Mostly Lost" Films The Library of Congress will once again host a cadre of scholars, archivists and film enthusiasts on a cinematic hunt to find clues that will lead to the identification of unidentified, under-identified or misidentified silent and early sound films at the eighth annual “Mostly Lost” workshop. The workshop will take place at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper,…
- Date: 2019-05-23
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April 15, 2019 (19-041)Celebrating 200 Years of Walt Whitman with Series of Exhibits, Events and Digital Crowdsourcing to Showcase Collections The Library of Congress will celebrate the 200th anniversary of American poet and changemaker Walt Whitman’s birthday in spring 2019 with a series of exhibits, public programs and a digital crowdsourcing campaign to showcase the Library’s unparalleled collections of Whitman’s writings and artifacts.The Library’s Whitman Bicentennial series will be part of the citywide Walt Whitman 200 Festival and other commemorations in the Mid-Atlantic where…
- Date: 2019-04-16
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March 19, 2019 (19-018)New National Recording Registry Class Is "Superfly" The classic radio western “Gunsmoke”; Ritchie Valens’ groundbreaking 1958 sensation “La Bamba”; Sam & Dave’s 1967 hit single “Soul Man”; the revolutionary 1968 Broadway musical “Hair”; and Neil Diamond’s 1969 “Sweet Caroline,” which became a popular sports anthem, are the newest recordings inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today named these and 20 other…
- Date: 2019-03-20
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February 13, 2019 (19-019)American Archive of Public Broadcasting to Preserve 50 Years of Sesame Street for Posterity As Sesame Street begins to mark its 50th anniversary, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB), a collaboration between the Library of Congress and the WGBH Educational Foundation, has announced that Sesame Workshop has donated a collection of digitized episodes from the past 50 years of Sesame Street, to be preserved for posterity. Over the next year, nearly 4,500 episodes from the first 49…
- Date: 2019-02-14
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June 12, 2018 (18-067)Library to Host 2nd Annual Outdoor Summer Film Festival on Capitol Hill The Library of Congress will host the second annual “LOC Summer Movies on the Lawn” outdoor film festival this summer. The six-film series—which will showcase iconic films from the Library’s National Film Registry—will be presented on Thursday evenings at sundown from July 12 through Aug. 16 on the north lawn of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, across the street from the U.S. Capitol.Tickets for…
- Date: 2018-06-13
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December 12, 2017 (17-178)2017 National Film Registry Is More Than a 'Field of Dreams' Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced the 2017 selections to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Selected for their cultural, historic and/or aesthetic importance, these 25 motion pictures range from an early film of the New York subway in 1905 and the musical biopic “La Bamba” to the holiday action thriller “Die Hard” and “The Goonies,” the adventure tale of…
- Date: 2017-12-13
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November 2, 2017 (17-166)Library Acquires Archives of Iconic Talk Show Host Dick Cavett With a career spanning more than 50 years, legendary TV personality Dick Cavett is recognized as one of the most cultured and savvy talk-show hosts in the history of television. The Library of Congress announced today that Cavett has donated 2,500 programs of his decades-long talk-show series—showcasing some of the golden moments in television—to the American people. The collection totals nearly 2,000 hours of…
- Date: 2017-11-03