MAGAZINE MONDAY | From fragile fragments to the digital world: Library conservators treat crumpled Egyptian papyrus texts and bring them to a global audience online. https://lcm.loc.gov/issue/january-february-2026/history-unfolded/?loclr=blsky

Brandi Carlile's accompaniment for "America the Beautiful" before the game last night was SistaStrings. The duo, Chauntee and Monique Ross, played another American anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," on the Library's Stradivarius instruments in 2024. Here's a clip of that impromptu performance. ⬇️

WHO is excited for Superb Owl weekend? 🦉 These owls from the Library's Japanese prints and drawings collection don't seem that thrilled, actually, although it's sure to be a hoot. They're enthusiastic about Bad Bunny, but they may not understand that he's a man, not a delicious small mammal.

What does health and healing look like on the job? The American Folklife Center’s “America Works” podcast returns for its eighth season with firsthand stories from America’s workforce. Learn more: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...

Many of the most famous photographs of figures from the Civil Rights Movement are in black and white, which is one of the reasons we love these colorful images of Rosa Parks' 1990 birthday gala, found in her papers at the Library of Congress. Parks was born on this day in 1913. #BlackHistoryMonth

For much of the U.S., including here in D.C., the past week or so has felt a lot like these images. 🥶 They originate from the "South Polar Times," the first newspaper published in Antarctica by members of the Discovery Expedition. Read about it in our rare book blog. ⬇️ blogs.loc.gov/bibliomania/...

If you wake up tomorrow and it’s Groundhog Day again, may we suggest the library as a great place to spend eternity. You could finally get through your TBR!

Did you know you can contribute to the #NatFilmRegistry? If your favorite film wasn't on the list of new inductees released yesterday, you can nominate it. Here's how. ⬇️ https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/nominate/?loclr=blsky

NEWS: The Library of Congress has selected 25 films for the National Film Registry due to their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage. Highlights in this thread. 🧵 blogs.loc.gov/loc/2026/01/... #NatFilmRegistry

It's #LibraryShelfieDay and there are so many shelves (and work benches!) to love at the Library of Congress. Check out this thread 🧵 to see some amazing shelfies! We'll start with Ashley Young and Stefany Merkelbach of the Rare Book Division, posing with John James Audubon's "Birds of America."

NOTICE: The Library and its reading rooms will open to researchers at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, following a one-hour delayed arrival due to inclement weather.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born 270 years ago today! The Library is home to several original Mozart music manuscripts including this one, pictured with the Music Division's "Little Mozart." Having been a child prodigy, Mozart was already quite famous by the time he wrote this at the age of 20. 🧵

NOTICE: Due to inclement weather, all Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill and in Culpeper, Va. will be closed on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Photo of the Library of Congress Madison Building covered in snow by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

On this day in 1970, Navy Lt. Everett Alvarez spent his 2,000th day as a POW in Vietnam. The Library’s Veterans History Project archive contains Alvarez’s testimony about his service, and the 8+ years in captivity that made him the second-longest held POW in U.S. history.

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards honor nonprofit organizations that have made outstanding contributions to increasing literacy in the U.S. and abroad. This video highlights the 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Awards winners and honorees! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu8eMmj07PU

NOTICE: Due to inclement weather, all Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill and in Culpeper, Va. will be closed on Monday, January 26, 2026.

It's National Handwriting Day, a perfect time to learn about the Library's crowdsourced transcription program, By The People. Volunteers can transcribe collection items like these, from The American Revolution In Context campaign, making them more searchable & accessible! crowd.loc.gov?loclr=blsky

Celebrate Black History Month and the Valentine's season in February, Live! at the Library. https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/celebrate-black-history-month-and-valentine-s-day-during-live--at-the-library-in-february/s/9f843296-acfe-42dd-b455-25f67a8b96df?loclr=blsky

In celebration of National Braille Literacy Month, check out this amazing Braille eReader from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library of Congress. They make braille reading more convenient and portable. Visit loc.gov/nls to learn more!

The American Folklife Center turns 50 this month! The AFC archive at the Library holds ~7 million items, from the earliest ethnographic audio recordings (1890) to contemporary cultural field research from across diverse American communities, supported by the Community Collections Grant program.

On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, enjoy images from The Glen Pearcy Collection at the Library of Congress. A rare, unguarded public moment of Dr. King smiling at a March 1965 Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee meeting—a snapshot of joy amid a historic civil rights struggle—is a highlight.

Fun fact about "Don Quixote," first published on this day in 1605: The publisher, not anticipating its popularity, secured publication rights only for Spain's Castile region. Pirated editions appeared in Valencia & Lisbon within months! The Library has copies of both the original & pirated editions.

NEWS: A new series from the Library of Congress, PBS Books, and the Affiliate Centers for the Book uncovers the literary treasures of individual states and territories within the U.S. 📚 🚗 🛣️ newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

The Tony Walton Collection at the Library includes his costume design drawings for both films ("Mary Poppins," "The Wiz") and stage productions. These designs came to the Library with flaking paint. Here's how the Conservation Division stabilized them so they'll be preserved for generations to come.

Educators and school librarians of all grade levels and subject areas are encouraged to apply by January 23 for free Teaching with Primary Sources workshops to be offered here at the Library in July! https://www.loc.gov/programs/teachers/professional-development/teacher-Institute/?loclr=blsky

In 2026, we invite you to appreciate America’s history & celebrate the semiquincentennial by exploring Library collections through exhibitions & special programming. https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/library-of-congress-celebrates-america-s-250-years/s/f24d73a1-2beb-4ca8-bbb7-49ebc3f65145?loclr=blsky

Magazine Monday: 25 years. Countless stories. One mission. The Veterans History Project preserves the voices of veterans and brings families together. Read about it in the new issue of the Library of Congress Magazine. https://lcm.loc.gov/issue/january-february-2026/forging-bonds/?loclr=blsky

Scientists in the Library's Preservation Research and Testing Division recently worked to analyze the colorants in this beautiful entomology book from 1705. Technical studies like this one help provide scholars with insights into where, when and how items in the Library's collection were made.

On this day in 1963, "Mona Lisa" was unveiled at the National Gallery of Art in D.C., a loan arranged by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The painting was also displayed at the Met before returning to France in March. This was one of the few times "Mona Lisa" has left the Louvre since 1804.

NEWS: Concerts from the Library of Congress launches an exciting, yearlong America 250 celebration this month, presenting a broad panorama of the nation’s music in concerts and conversations, lectures, film screenings, educational programs and more. newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

On this day in 1838, Samuel Morse demonstrated his telegraph system in public for the first time. Six years later, he'd dispatch the first telegraphic message—"What hath God wrought"—over an experimental line from D.C. to Baltimore. The Library is home to Morse's papers. www.loc.gov/collections/...

On this day in 1933, construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge. It's now one of the most photographed bridges in the world, but not often from this angle. This image by Jet Lowe is from the Library's Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) collection. 🧵

NEWS: Library of Congress Literacy Awards applications will be accepted through Feb. 17! Sponsored by David M. Rubenstein & the Kislak Family Foundation, the program recognizes organizations providing exemplary, innovative & replicable strategies to promote literacy. newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

The Library's Jefferson Building gets a lot of love, but let's take a moment to appreciate the John Adams Building, which opened its doors to the public on this day in 1939. The Art Deco space is beautiful AND utilitarian, containing 180 miles of shelving.

From the Library of Congress Geography & Map Division: The first full moon of the new year calls for a look at the beautiful lunar maps created long before satellite images became available. 🌕✨⬇️ https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2020/03/going-to-the-moon-early-cartography-of-the-lunar-surface/?loclr=blsky

Happy New Year! We love sharing these pro-book posters from the Works Projects Administration Poster Collection in the Library's Prints and Photographs Division. Of the 2,000 WPA posters known to exist, the Library of Congress's collection of more than 900 is the largest.

Join Friends of the Library of Congress to enrich your experience with the Library and enhance the Library’s role as an enduring source of knowledge and creativity! Visit loc.gov/friends to learn more.

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to try new things, but you haven't been to Live! at the Library yet, come see us in January to enjoy our extended Thursday night hours! newsroom.loc.gov/news/explore...

Many of our followers and film lovers are used to seeing big news in December about films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Our announcement is delayed by a few weeks, but we aim to announce new selections to the registry in late January. Stay tuned!

Did you know the chocolate chip cookie that we know and love is less than 100 years old? The Library of Congress has a copy of the book in which the very first chocolate chip cookie recipe appeared, "Ruth Wakefield's Toll House Tried and True Recipes." blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams...

From the Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division, a look at some of the amazing, life-sized bird images from Audubon's "Birds of America" and a re-imagined verse of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" to incorporate some of the species! blogs.loc.gov/bibliomania/...

Angelo Rizzuto was born on this day in 1906. His collection at the Library of Congress contains 60,000 black-and-white photographs of New York City, chiefly Manhattan, taken between 1949 and 1967, an amazing visual archive of that period of time in the city.

NOTICE: Please be aware that the Library of Congress special operating hours have changed for next week. All Library buildings will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Dec. 26. Full schedule of special operating hours through January: https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-25-a06?loclr=blsky

We want to share with you this charming piece of holiday ephemera from the Library's Rare Book and Special Collections Division: An 1858 interactive Christmas card featuring a patriotic Santa Claus. 🎄🎅🇺🇸

NEWS: The Library of Congress exhibition “The Two Georges," which has brought together for the first time the collections of George Washington and King George III of Britain, will be extended through July 4, 2026! https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/two-georges/about-this-exhibition/?loclr=blsky

On this day in 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright demonstrated the first controlled and sustained flights in a power-driven, heavier-than-air machine in Kill Devil Hills, N.C. Did you know the Library of Congress is home to the papers of the Wright brothers? www.loc.gov/collections/...

NEWS: Poet Laureate Arthur Sze will publish a new book as a focus of his laureateship, “Transient Worlds." It will take readers through 1,500 years of poetry, featuring translations into English from 13 languages, including Arabic, Braj Bhasha, Japanese and Navajo. newsroom.loc.gov/news/u.s.-po...

Happy Hanukkah from the Library of Congress. 🕎 This steel menorah, donated to the Library by Dallas sculptor George Tobolowsky in 2013, is displayed in the Great Hall.

Join Friends of the Library of Congress and help the Library expand its role as America’s premiere and authoritative source of history, culture, and knowledge. When you GIVE a gift of $50 or more, you GET exclusive member benefits! Become a Friend: www.loc.gov/programs/sup...

NEWS: Artist, developer and Library of Congress Innovator in Residence Vivian Li invites you to explore three American communities with Anywhere Adventures, a new interactive mobile site showcasing local history through items from the Library's digital collections. newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...