Webcasts from the Library of Congress II Library of Congress

When most researchers arrive at the Library of Congress, their journey of discovery begins in the Main Reading Room. As the home to the library's reference collections, the computer catalog center, and knowledgeable reference staff, the Main Reading Room's purpose is to make library research easily accessible to anyone with enough curiosity to pursue it. This video includes general information about the library's staff and material resources, the reader ID process, and encourages researchers to experience all that the library has to offer. Speakers include 2012 Library of Congress Junior Fellow Kristen Schumacher and Library staffers Cheryl Adams, Kathy Woodrell, Steven Davenport, Abby Yochelson, Thomas Mann, Kristi Conkle and Judy Robinson.

For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5585

The Bibliographic Framework Initiative (BIBFRAME) is a major community challenge to provide an alternative to the deeply embedded MARC formats that will be more compatible with the Web and Internet environment and that offers new opportunities to leverage information. This program at the Annual Meeting of the American Library Association addressed multiple facets of the development -- how it fits into the major thrusts of Library of Congress programs and how it will attempt to span the different data models of the library and related communities. Two institutions that are experimenting with the general model were asked to report, along with a discussion of its relationship to schema.org, the recent search engine attempt at standardization.

For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5940

Mark Frarnkel discusses the importance of science literacy among scientists, policy makers and the general public.

Speaker Biography: Mark S. Frankel is director of the Scientific Responsibility Human Rights and Law program at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has authored several papers on genetics, human rights and law.

For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5974

Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Natasha Trethewey delivers her final lecture, "Necessary Utterance: Poetry as Cultural Force," closing the spring literary season at the Library of Congress.

Speaker Biography: Natasha Trethewey was born in Gulfport, Mississippi on April 26, 1966. She is the author of four poetry collections and a book of creative non-fiction. Her honors include the Pulitzer Prize and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2012, she was appointed the State Poet Laureate of Mississippi.

For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5941

As part of the "Necessary Utterance: Poetry as Cultural Force" event commemorating Natasha Trethewey's historical year as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, poets Marilyn Chin, Brenda Shaughnessy, Patricia Smith, Brian Turner and Kevin Young read from their work.

For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5942

An examination of Marefa, an online Arabic encyclopedia, by its creator, Nayel Shafei.

Speaker Biography: Nayel Shafei holds a Ph.D. in computer sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his undergraduate work was done in Cairo. He was executive vice president for development of Quest Communications and has been instrumental in introducing broadband networks to various companies.

For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6027