Library of Congress: Engage!

The Library's doors may be closed, but we are still here for you. On this page you'll find ways to engage with authors you love and ways to connect to the Library’s resources from anywhere in the world.

FOR EVERYONE: Celebrate your holiday traditions with the Library of Congress

We hope these virtual holiday experiences will bring comfort and cheer this December. Please enjoy this Special Message from Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden and then…

Cozy up with a good book: Join Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden for a read aloud of Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light, a winter-themed picture book for all ages.

Listen to songs of the season: Stroll down memory lane with festive past performances from the Library’s American Folklife Center Mummers, Chorale and Little Scholars.

Bake together: Make holiday-themed recipes from the Library’s collection.

Read along with National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled staff as they share an assortment of holiday writings.

FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS: Online Workshops

Virtual Workshops for Students in Grades 3-8

NEW virtual workshops for students in grades 3-8. Connect with Library collections with one of these programs, led by a Library educator: Rosa Parks: Freedom Fighter, Imagination: Everyone’s Superpower, and Stories in the Stars: Mythology at the Library of Congress. Find more information and register

Workshops & Office Hours for K-12 Teachers

Online Office Hours: 20-minute topical presentations followed by Q&A held every Tuesday from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern.
Professional Development Webinars: Free, one-hour programs for educators interested in using primary sources with their students held every Wednesday, 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern.

FOR BOOK LOVERS

DECEMBER 17, 7 PM: “Behind the Book: Nan Talese and Margaret Atwood”: Nan Talese is senior vice president at Doubleday Publishing and editorial director of her own imprint. Margaret Atwood is the internationally lauded author of many books, including “The Handmaid’s Tale” and its recent sequel, “The Testaments.” This event will premier on Facebook and YouTube

Poetry & Literature Programs: Explore programs that celebrate award winners and ambassadors—including the U.S. Poet Laureate and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, listen to audio recordings of nearly 2,000 poets and writers in the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature, and watch our new Behind the Book series, which takes you inside America’s legendary publishing houses as top editors, publishers, designers and other publishing insiders people discuss their work with their most successful authors. Watch videos of past events, view the upcoming events calendar and follow the Catbird Seat blog to receive updates.

National Book Festival: The 20th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival celebrated American Ingenuity with more than 120 extraordinary authors, poets and illustrators featured in presentation videos available on demand and live Q&A discussions. Watch the videos on the Festival website and follow the Festival blog to receive updates.

National Book Festival Presents: The National Book Festival continues in our yearlong event series featuring authors, books and related, treasured items from the Library of Congress. Watch videos of past events, view the upcoming events calendar and follow the Festival blog to receive updates.

FOR FAMILIES: Create at Home

Connect with Us

The Library has launched a new blog for families! “Minerva’s Kaleidoscope” will include activity ideas, updates on programs, puzzles and more. Visit the page to explore and subscribe

Create with Collections

Get inspired by an item in the Library’s collections then create artworks, mini-books, and more with activities for kids ages 12 and under. Find all activity sets

Dav Pilkey at Home

Check out this playlist of videos from Dav Pilkey. You can also find additional fun and free content including more “how to draw” and read-aloud videos and downloadable activities at Scholastic Dav Pilkey At Home site .

FOR KIDS & TEENS: GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story!

Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, shares his passion for storytelling through a new monthly GRAB THE MIC newsletter and "Write. Right. Rite.," a weekly GRAB THE MIC video series. Check out all of Jason Reynolds' videos here and read all of his newsletters here.

Keep up with all of Jason Reynolds’ endeavors as National Ambassador here and make sure to watch his appearance at the 2020 National Book Festival.

View All Jason Reynolds Videos

FOR DOCUMENT DETECTIVES: Be a Virtual Volunteer

Join By the People, the Library's online volunteer transcription program from anywhere in the world. Transcribe, tag, or review documents to help make the Library’s collections more accessible and findable for all!

FOR MUSIC LOVERS: Join an Online Event

Join the Homegrown Concert Series: On Wednesdays at noon, hear an online concert sponsored by the American Folklife Center on Facebook or YouTube. Find the full series

Be a Citizen DJ: Select short samples of free-to-use audio and video materials from the Library's collection to create your own beats and sound mixes using Citizen DJ.

Take the #FolklifeArchiveChallenge: Search our collections, find a piece you love, create your own version, record it and share! Read more about the challenge

FOR CURIOUS MINDS: Conversations on the Future of Democracy

Thursday, December 17, at 10 a.m., join Frances Lee and James Curry for The Limits of Party: Congress and Lawmaking in a Polarized era. Free registration is available here. And check out this post on the Kluge blog for many of the Kluge Center’s past virtual events.

FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: Share Your Work

The Library welcomes you to contribute up to five photographs or graphic artworks to a new Flickr group, COVID-19: American Experiences . A selection of images submitted to this group will be acquired for the Library’s permanent collections.
Image credit: Broadway Theatre - Mt. Pleasant, MI, by Dan Glickman on Flickr .

Stay in Touch!

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, and sign up for email updates for new resources as they become available. More information is at https://loc.gov/connect