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...

This year marks 25 years of the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress, which was celebrated in the @pbs.org “Salute to Service” broadcast last month. www.loc.gov/programs/vet...

On this National Christmas Card Day we are pleased to share, from the Library's special collections, a copy of the first commercial Christmas card. It's from 1843, the same year “A Christmas Carol" was published. Both helped establish the Victorian concept of Christmas. blogs.loc.gov/loc/2019/12/...

We've got gifts for all the library and book lovers in your life at The Library Store, including the exclusive 2025 Library of Congress Ornament. 🎁 😍 Shop here. ⬇️ https://library-of-congress-shop.myshopify.com/

We've arrived at the final installment of our series on book rebinding, where the Library's advanced book conservation interns have taken you through all the steps of rebinding a book from the Library's Thomas Jefferson Library Collection! Scroll back in our feed to see Acts I & II.

Ahead of Friday's Krampusnacht, or "Krampus Night," read up on the folklore character who comes primarily from German-speaking regions of Europe and whose main duty as St. Nicholas’s companion is to punish or threaten naughty children while the saint rewards good ones. blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...

Santa: Sees you when you're sleeping, knows when you're awake. 🎅 Wee Willie Winkie: Raps at the windows and searches all the nooks to count the many children reading library books. 👁️👁️ Work Projects Administration Poster Collection, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division. Cleo Sara, 1940.

The Great Hall is decked! Plan a visit to the Library of Congress to enjoy the festive atmosphere of the Jefferson Building this month, including during our extended hours 🔗⬇️ on Thursday evenings. #LiveAtTheLibrary newsroom.loc.gov/news/celebra...

The latest installment in our series on book rebinding, where the Library's advanced book conservation interns are taking you through all the steps of rebinding a book from the Library's Thomas Jefferson Library Collection! Scroll back in our feed to see Act I, and check back next week for Act III.

A fan favorite Thanksgiving story from the Library: In 1926, Mississippi supporters of President Coolidge sent him a raccoon to kill & serve for Thanksgiving dinner. The Coolidges adopted her, instead.👇 https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2021/01/when-rebecca-the-raccoon-ruled-the-white-house/?loclr=blsky

History buffs, we’ve got an activity to occupy your digestion downtime this holiday season. Our crowdsourced transcription program, By The People, presents new documents for transcription in collaboration with @PBS and "The American Revolution," a new Ken Burns series. crowd.loc.gov/topics/ameri...

A Thanksgiving week treat from the Library of Congress to you: A close-up look at what many culinary historians see as the "first" American cookbook, Amelia Simmons’ "American Cookery." www.loc.gov/item/9612696...

Something we love to revisit during Native American Heritage Month: 23rd Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s signature project that celebrates the poetry of contemporary Native American poets. www.loc.gov/programs/poe...

Welcome to our three-part series on book rebinding, where Library of Congress advanced book conservation interns Brittany and Devon will take you through all the steps of rebinding a book from the Library's Thomas Jefferson Library Collection. Stay tuned for parts two and three!

NEWS: U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze will open his tenure in December with a workshop and reading at Queens College in New York, followed by his inaugural reading at the Library of Congress on Dec. 11. newsroom.loc.gov/news/u.s.-po...

In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 162 years ago today, President Lincoln gave one of the most famous speeches in American history, extolling the sacrifices of the men who died in the battle there. There are five known manuscript copies of the Gettysburg Address. The Library of Congress has two of those.

On this day in 1883, precisely at noon, North American railroads switched to a new standard time system for rail operations, which they called Standard Railway Time (SRT). Almost immediately, many American cities enacted ordinances, thus resulting in the creation of time “zones.” 🧵

Access to reading wasn't always as easy as it is today. Photos from the Library's Prints and Photographs Division illustrate how libraries on wheels used to get books to rural readers. https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2025/09/books-on-the-move-bookmobiles-mobile-libraries-and-more/?loclr=blsky

Library of Congress buildings are now open to the public, researchers and staff.

Due to Congressional action, Federal Government operations resumed on Thursday, November 13. Library of Congress buildings will open at noon to the public and researchers and staff. Visit www.loc.gov for additional information.

NOTICE: During a temporary shutdown of the federal government, all Library of Congress buildings are CLOSED to the public and social media accounts are not active. In the meantime, please enjoy our content archive.

NOTICE: In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government, all Library of Congress buildings will be CLOSED to the public and researchers. All public events will be cancelled. newsroom.loc.gov/news/advisor...

Magazine Monday: An alternate ending for "Romeo and Juliet"? The Library's Rare Book Division holds at least seven printings by an 18th century director who dared to rewrite the Bard. https://lcm.loc.gov/issue/september-october-2025/rewriting-shakespeare/?loclr=blsky

Once more, due to popular demand, we share Rosa Parks’ pancake recipe in honor of 🥞 #NationalPancakeDay. Jotted down on an envelope, it came to the Library with the rest of her papers, a gift made possible by the generosity of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation in 2016. www.loc.gov/collections/...

Discover, learn, and create at the Library of Congress! Our monthly Family Days this fall and winter feature exhibits and hands-on activities—free and open to all ages. newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

It's National Comic Book Day! Did you know the Library has one of the nation's largest collections of comic books? Unlike the heroes depicted on their pages, not all of the volumes are in great shape. Here's how Library technicians care for the collection. blogs.loc.gov/preservation...

On this day in 1957, U.S. Army troops escorted the Little Rock Nine to Central High School in Arkansas. Less well known—in August 1958 all the city's high schools were closed for a year to resist integration. Students learned through televised lessons, as shown in these photos.

The Library of Congress has three buildings on Capitol Hill but that’s STILL not enough space to store all of the collection items in the world’s largest library. Here's a look at one of the off-site Library storage facilities in Fort Meade, Maryland.

Magazine Monday: The papers of the man who reinvented musical theater now are in the Library of Congress. Read more about it in the current issue of the Library of Congress Magazine. lcm.loc.gov/issue/septem...

Welcome to the world of “inclusions,” an ecosystem known to archivists the world over in which they come across all sorts of things readers have purposefully or inadvertently left between a book’s pages. Recently at the Library, the objet du jour was... a snakeskin. 🐍 blogs.loc.gov/loc/2025/09/...

Check out what's happening Live! at the Library in October. newsroom.loc.gov/news/live--a...

It's Constitution Day! The Constitution's current home is the National Archives, but it used to be housed here at the Library. For the first time ever, through Oct. 1, the National Archives has the U.S. Constitution & all 27 amendments on display. Head to visit.archives.gov to learn more!

The Library is honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with music, literature, volunteer opportunities, and more! newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

NEWS: The Library of Congress is announcing the appointment of Arthur Sze as the nation’s 25th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2025-2026. Sze will begin his laureateship with a reading of his work on Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Library. newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. It's easy to get one from the Library of Congress! Here's how: www.loc.gov/research-cen...

The Library is home to the photographic archive of Camilo José Vergara, whose photography documents how America’s cities have changed through the years. One spot he's photographed again and again: Lower Manhattan as seen from the Manhattan Bridge. 🧵

Attention, educators! As you build out your curriculum for the school year ahead, the Library of Congress is here for you with teaching tools, professional learning, and powerful primary sources for your classroom. Check out loc.gov/teachers to learn more.

It's National Teddy Bear Day 🧸. You may know teddy bears are named after President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, but do you know why? It started on a 1902 bear hunting trip, on which Roosevelt had trouble finding a bear, so his assistants found one for him & tied it to a tree. 🧵

NEWS: On this International Literacy Day, 24 organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading have been awarded 2025 Library of Congress Literacy Awards. newsroom.loc.gov/news/library...

The National Book Festival always goes by way too fast! We had a great day and we hope you did, too. Please take our survey and tell us how we did: nationalbookfestivalsurvey.com #NatBookFest