Celebrate the Opening of the Library’s Treasures Gallery During Live! at the Library in June
Visitors Invited to Concert Featuring Natalie Merchant, Author Talk with Kevin Kwan, Celebrate House of Blues Radio Collection
Celebrate the opening of the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery at the Library of Congress during Live! at the Library on June 13.
Experience the gallery’s inaugural exhibition featuring one-of-a-kind items from across the Library’s vast collections. Natalie Merchant will perform an evening concert in the historic Coolidge Auditorium to celebrate the opening of the Treasures Gallery with a selection of original material and traditional folk music drawn from the Library’s archive at the American Folklife Center.
On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour drinks and snacks available for purchase in the Library’s beautiful Great Hall overlooking the Capitol while visiting the Library’s exhibitions, collections and programs.
Visitors are invited to Experience the Main Reading Room during Live! at the Library. Usually reserved for researchers, visitors can now walk inside and see one of Washington’s most beautiful spaces. Please note that due to strong interest and limited capacity, those with timed-entry passes are not guaranteed access.
Ticketing
For special events during Live! at the Library, please use the event registration ticketing link found next to the event or at loc.gov/live. This ticket grants access to the special event as well as the Library’s exhibitions and the happy hour portion of the evening.
For entry into the Library only for happy hour, an extended view of our exhibitions or to experience the Main Reading Room during Live! at the Library, a regular timed-entry pass can be obtained at loc.gov/visit.
Visitors only need one of these two tickets to enter during Live! at the Library.
Programming Highlights for June
June 6: Kevin Kwan, bestselling novelist of "Crazy Rich Asians," talks about his latest novel, "Lies and Weddings." Register for tickets.
June 13: Visitors are invited to the opening of the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery at the Library of Congress and a celebratory concert featuring acclaimed recording artist Natalie Merchant, who also serves on the board of the Library’s American Folklife Center. Livestreaming will be available. Register for tickets.
June 20: Get ready to immerse yourself in the infectious rhythms and vibrant energy of two-time Grammy-nominated Cha Wa. This performance promises an unforgettable fusion of New Orleans brass band traditions, Black Masking Indian culture, and contemporary funk that will have you dancing at your seat from start to finish. Register for tickets.
June 20: Join authors and "National Treasure" mega-fans Aubrey R. Paris and Emily M. Black as they discuss their book "National Treasure Hunt" and reveal how the fantastical could actually be true at the Library of Congress. Register for tickets.
June 27: Celebrate the arrival of the House of Blues Radio Collection at the Library of Congress. This event will feature blues artists in live performances in the Coolidge Auditorium, and curators will display items from the House of Blues Collection and other blues items in the Library’s holdings in the Great Hall and along Mahogany Row. Register for tickets.
Exhibitions On View
- “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America,” explores America’s history as a “nation of joiners” through voluntary organizations and our longstanding impulse to join together for common purposes, while also acknowledging these groups have sometimes reflected society’s exclusions, discriminations and divisions. The exhibition is on display in the South Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building. “Join In” was extended through July 6, 2024.
- “Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America’s Library” represents a sampling of the more than 15 million photographs held by the Library, ranging from the early days of photography to today. Located in the Southwest Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building, visitors will see the “first selfie,” which is thought to be the earliest known American photographic self-portrait, and view important pictures of Harriet Tubman, the Wright brothers and more.
- Learn more about the lives and work of the Gershwin brothers in “Here to Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin” on the Ground Floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building. This permanent exhibition pays tribute to the much-loved musical duo with handwritten and printed music, lyric sheets, letters, photographs, paintings and drawings from the Library’s Gershwin Collection.
- Take a trip through this major exhibition, a re-created version of Thomas Jefferson’s Library, which assembles 6,487 volumes that founded the Library of Congress, and learn how one of America’s greatest thinkers was inspired through the world of books.
Live! at the Library is part of a broader effort to reimagine the visitor experience at the Library of Congress that invites visitors to enjoy the Library and its collections in new formats during extended evening hours on Thursday nights. The series regularly features special conversations, music, performances, films and workshops that showcase the broad range of holdings at the national library.
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
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Media Contact: Elaina Finkelstein, efinkelstein@loc.gov
PR 24-046
05/23/2024
ISSN 0731-3527