|
Mark Your Calendar for the 2026 National Book Festival!
Saturday, August 22, 2026 | 09:00 a.m. - 08:00 p.m. EDT
Lineup Features Cynthia Erivo, Ann Patchett, Martin Scorsese, Kate McKinnon, Annette Gordon-Reed, Douglas Brinkley, Tia Williams, Arthur Sze and More!
The Library of Congress National Book Festival will return on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Part of the Library’s celebration of America 250: It’s Your Story, this year’s festival is an invitation to further appreciate the country’s history.
One of the nation’s favorite literary traditions, the 2026 National Book Festival will provide a multifaceted storytelling experience with expanded programming. Throughout the day, attendees will hear conversations with more than 80 authors from a myriad of literary genres. There will also be programming spotlighting music, film, recorded sound, veterans’ history, American folklife, and more, providing a window into the vast scope of the Library’s collections and year-round programs.
For the first time this year, free tickets will be required for festival entry, but not for individual programs within the festival. Tickets can be reserved at loc.gov/bookfest.
Live! At The Library: Who Knew? K-Pop Trivia Night
Thursday, August 06, 2026 | 05:00 p.m. - 07:00 p.m. EDT
As part of special evening celebrating K-pop, this edition of Who Knew? Trivia Night will highlight the Library's K-pop and Korean cultural collections. Along with answering questions, guests will have the opportunity to explore a collections display of treasures from across the Library and talk to the Library's own K-pop experts. Learn More.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Live! At The Library: K-pop Live @ the Library
Thursday, August 06, 2026 | 05:00 p.m. - 08:00 p.m. EDT
This Live! at the Library will focus on all things K-pop! Enjoy a night with a curated playlist for dancing and explore a collections display of treasures from the Library's Asian Division, Music Division and the American Folklife Center. There will also be hands-on activities and crafts, such as decorating your own light stick and learning how to use archival preservation practices for your own K-pop ephemera. Learn More.
|
Live! At the Library: "Apollo 13"
Thursday, August 06, 2026 | 08:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. EDT
Join us to watch “Apollo 13” (1995 PG 2h. 20 min.) under the stars! Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2023, the film chronicles one of the nation's most dramatic scientific achievements as NASA races to bring the Apollo 13 crew home safely after the spacecraft suffers catastrophic damage, putting the lives of all three astronauts in jeopardy. Learn More.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Afternoons with the Library: Discover the Geography and Map Division
Monday, August 10, 2026 | 02:00 p.m. - 03:00 p.m. EDT
This in-person visit of the Library of Congress Geography and Maps division will include a tour of the reading room with a curated display of items from the collection and an overview of the policies and procedures for potential researchers. Learn More.
|
Geography & Map Division Virtual Orientation
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 | 03:00 p.m. - 04:00 p.m. EDT
In this introductory session on the Library of Congress Geography and Map collections, learn how to search and access maps and electronic resources in the online catalog, along with tips, research guides and ways to engage with the collections. The session also covers preparing for a reading room visit and includes a Q&A. Learn More.
|
|
 |
|
|
Live! At The Library
Thursday, August 13, 2026 | 05:00 p.m. - 08:00 p.m. EDT
The Library's Thomas Jefferson Building is open for extended hours every Thursday evening from 5 to 8 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour snacks and drinks available for purchase in the Great Hall while immersing themselves in the Library's exhibits, collections and programs. Learn more.
|
An Evening with AFC Artist-in-Resonance Amanda Pascali
Thursday, August 13, 2026 | 07:00 p.m. - 08:00 p.m. EDT
Amanda Pascali is the American Folklife Center's 2026 Artist-in-Resonance and is a rising voice among America's most ethnically diverse generation of young people, creating music that speaks to the experience of growing up as a first-generation American. In this concert, Pascali will present an evening of what she calls “Immigrant American Folk,” which blends folk/Americana influences with Mediterranean, Balkan, and Latin rhythms. Learn more.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Live! At the Library: "Clueless"
Thursday, August 13, 2026 | 08:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. EDT
Join us to watch "Clueless" (1995, PG-13, 1 hr. 38 min.) under the stars! Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2025, this beloved film follows a wealthy, well-meaning Beverly Hills teen who plays matchmaker for others, only to discover her own lessons in love and self-awareness along the way. As part of the America 250 celebration, this screening of "Clueless" highlights a vibrant snapshot of late-20th-century American identity. Learn More.
|
|
|
Webinars
Click to edit this placeholder text.
|
|
 |
|
Botkin Lecture with Lisa Rathje — Teaching with Folk Sources: Education, Innovation, and the American Folklife Center Archives
Tuesday, August 04, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. - 01:00 p.m. EDT
In this talk, Lisa Rathje, executive director of pioneering non-profit Local Learning, will describe how educators can use AFC’s local and regional collections to enhance classroom experiences at all grade levels. Register Now.
|
Orientation to Legal Research: Tracing Federal Regulations
Thursday, August 06, 2026 | 01:00 p.m. - 02:00 p.m. EDT
This entry in the Orientation to Legal Research webinar series provides an overview of U.S. federal regulations, including the notice-and-comment rulemaking process, the publication and citation of regulations, and how to trace regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations to the proposed rule in the Federal Register and the regulation's docket. Register Now.
|
|
 |
|
|
A Lunch and Learn Webinar: An Overview of Public International Law
Thursday, August 13, 2026 | 01:00 p.m. - 02:00 p.m. EDT
This entry in the Law Library of Congress' Lunch and Learn Webinar Series provides an overview of recent developments in U.S. foreign relations law, including statutes, cases and international agreements from the past two years. The webinar also offers practical examples highlighting key aspects of U.S. foreign relations law and strategies for researching this dynamic field. Register Now.
|
|
|
Exhibitions at the Library of Congress
Click to edit this placeholder text.
|
|
 Library Treasures Stored on Synthetic DNA
Open from July 1, 2026 through July 3, 2027
To mark America’s 250th anniversary, the Library of Congress has created a cutting-edge molecular data storage device featuring treasures from the Library’s collections, which has been placed in a time capsule in Philadelphia to be opened in 2276.
This small display features an identical copy of the miniature device, which uses synthetic DNA to store digital copies of specially selected Library materials.
Learn more.
|
The Declaration’s Promise
Open from July 3, 2026 through July 3, 2027
Now on view in the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery, “The Declaration’s Promise: A Revolutionary Idea” explores the principles of the Declaration of Independence and their impact on American history over the past 250 years.
With Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence as the centerpiece, the exhibition draws on a wide variety of items from across the Library’s collections, including manuscripts, rare books, images, music, recordings, newspapers, poetry and popular culture from the 20th and 21st centuries. Together, these materials explore the ways Americans have used the Declaration as a framework for demanding rights and liberties and as inspiration for innovation and creative expression over the decades.
Learn More.
 This tiny vial carries digital copies of Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence, Francis Scott Key's lyrics to the national anthem and more, all preserved using cutting-edge molecular data storage technology. Learn more.
|
|
| |
