SOURCE: Library of Congress
WHAT: Library to Hold Main Reading Room Open House on Presidents Day
WHEN: Sunday, February 20, 2017 from 10 AM to 4:30 PM
WHERE: Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20540-160
JANUARY 27, 2017 (REVISED FEBURARY 10, 2017)
Library to Hold Main Reading Room Open House on Presidents Day
Press Contact: Deanna McCray-James (202) 707-9322
Public Contact: Visitor Services (202) 707-8000
Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov
Twice each year, the Library of Congress opens its magnificent Main Reading Room to share information about how the public can access the Library’s resources year-round. The first open house of 2017 will take place on the Presidents Day holiday, Monday, Feb. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Main Reading Room is located on the first floor of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. The Jefferson Building will be open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Reference librarians will be on hand to demonstrate services, instruct on how to obtain a reader-registration card and answer questions. They also will be available to demonstrate the Library’s online resources and discuss access to the Library’s vast onsite collections, including services and collections for use in family history research. No other reference services will be available and all other Library of Congress reading rooms and buildings will be closed. Photography is allowed; however visitors may not use selfiesticks, mono-, bi- or tripods. Visitors can join the conversation that day on Twitter and Instagram using the tag #LibraryOpenHouse.
The Library’s Young Readers Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with activity stations and programming for visitors. Children and teens are invited to bring their own presidential props—top hats, pantsuits, American flag pins—and read a speech from a past president or a speech they have written themselves at the center’s presidential podium. Visitors can learn about past presidents and how to write a great speech, create presidential crafts, and have fun exploring the collection. Young people, who must be accompanied by an adult at all times, are encouraged to explore the center’s library of current and classic books, its puppet theater and its games and puzzles, which can be viewed onsite. Don’t miss the speeches from kids all across the nation who participated by recording their own presidential speech. Learn more and participate here: read.gov/yrc/challenge.html.
On display in the Library’s Graphic Arts Gallery on the ground floor through August 19, 2017, “World War I: American Artists View the Great War” highlights the collections of the Library’s Prints and Photographs Division. Although the United States participated as a direct combatant in World War I from 1917 to 1918, the riveting posters, cartoons, fine-art prints and drawings on display chronicle this massive international conflict from its onset through its aftermath.
The Library Shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Unreserved guided tours of the Thomas Jefferson Building will be offered at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Each tour is limited to 40 people and designed to accommodate individuals and families, not large groups. More information about the Library, the exhibitions and tours is available at the orientation desks at loc.gov/visit/ or by calling (202) 707-8000. Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov.
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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https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-17-012/library-to-hold-main-reading-room-open-house-on-presidents-day/2017-01-27/?loclr=twevt
