Library of Congress
Today in History - August 31

Today in History - August 31

On August 31, 1897, Thomas Edison received a patent for the kinetographic camera, “a certain new and useful Improvement in Kinetoscopes,” the forerunner of the motion picture film projector. Continue reading.

Click here to search Today in History for other historic moments.

 

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Ann Patchett Accepts Prize for American Fiction, Delights SRO National Book Festival Audience

08/31/2026 09:00 AM EDT

Ann Patchett accepted the Library's 2026 Prize for American Fiction at the jam-packed National Book Festival last weekenc, delighting an SRO audience. Patchett was on stage with friend and fellow author Tayari Jones, in a conversation moderated by National Public Radio’s Mary Louise Kelly.

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Meet the Summer 2026 Creative Digital Program Participants

08/31/2026 09:00 AM EDT

Meet the creative digital program participants at the Law Library of Congress from summer 2026.

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Congress.gov Notifications Congress.gov Enhancements for August of 2026, Part 2

We are pleased to bring you the second installment of Congress.gov enhancements for August of 2026

Enhancement – Legislation – Related Bills

  • Find a new type of bill relationship on the Related Bills tab.
  • Cross-Congress related bill is added between measures that were introduced in different Congresses, no more than two Congresses apart. It indicates a measure is substantially similar, in both text and meaning, to a measure that was introduced in a different Congress.
  • Search for Cross-Congress related bills and other related bill types using the field label relatedBillType:
  • See a sample search for each related bill type in Search Tools.
  • Learn more at About Related Bills.
Congress.gov: Most-Viewed Bills Update

  1. H.R.6509 [119th] - SAFE Drugs Act of 2025
  2. H.R.1 [119th] - An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14.
  3. S.2296 [119th] - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
  4. S.3516 [118th] - A bill to impose a fee on certain remittance transfers to fund border security.
  5. H.R.3633 [119th] - Digital Asset Market Clarity Act
  6. H.R.139 [119th] - Sunshine Protection Act of 2025
  7. H.R.5269 [119th] - RESULTS Act
  8. H.R.5316 [119th] - Drug Shortage Compounding Patient Access Act of 2025
  9. H.R.8800 [119th] - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027
  10. H.R.22 [119th] - SAVE Act
AI Sandbox Series: A Secure Environment to Explore Artificial Intelligence at the Library

08/31/2026 11:18 AM EDT

This post is the first in a series about the Library of Congress AI Sandbox for staff. It provides an introduction to the initiative’s goals and an overview of the types of experiments conducted so far. Future posts will feature details about experiments in text recognition and searchability, metadata and bibliographic record enhancement, and more.

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News from the John W. Kluge Center: Kluge Center Fellowship Applications Closing September 15

Kluge Center Fellowship Applications Will Close September 15, 2026

Apply Now for Paid Research Fellowships at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress

The Kluge Center exists to further the study of humanity through the use of the large and varied collections of the Library of Congress. All fields and disciplines within the social sciences and the humanities, including interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research, are welcome. Fellows hold book borrowing privileges and are in residence with desk space in the historic Thomas Jefferson Building with access to specialized librarians throughout the Library. Applicants may be US citizens or foreign nationals, and foreign nationals will be assisted in obtaining necessary visas.

Click here to learn more about our fellowship programs.

Please send any questions regarding our fellowships or the application process to scholarly@loc.gov

Click here to access our application portal.

The David B. Larson Fellowship in Health and Spirituality is designed to continue epidemiologist and psychologist David B. Larson's legacy of promoting meaningful, scholarly study of health and spirituality, two important and increasingly interrelated fields. It seeks to encourage the pursuit of scholarly excellence in the scientific study of the relation of religiousness and spirituality to physical, mental, and social health. The fellowship provides an opportunity for a period of six to twelve months of concentrated use of the collections of the Library of Congress, through full-time residency in the Library's John W. Kluge Center. Fellowships are for a period of up to twelve months with a $5,000 monthly stipend.

The Kluge Fellowship hosts 12 scholars each year. Fellowships are for a period of up to eleven months with a $5,000 monthly stipend. Applicants must have received a terminal advanced degree in the last seven years in the humanities, social sciences, or a professional discipline like law or architecture.

The Kluge Fellowship in Digital Studies is open to scholars whose work encompasses digital scholarship, digital humanities, data science, data analysis, data visualization, and digital publishing that utilize digital collections, tools, and methods. The Kluge Fellowship in Digital Studies provides an opportunity for scholars to utilize digital methods, the Library’s large and varied digital collections and resources, curatorial expertise, and an emerging community of digital scholarship practitioners. Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research is particularly welcome in the Kluge Digital Studies program. Fellowships are for a period of up to eleven months with a $5,000 monthly stipend.

The Philip Lee Phillips Society Fellowship allows qualified scholars to conduct research at the Kluge Center using the Geography and Map Division's collections and resources for a period of two months, with a monthly stipend of $5,750.

Please send any questions regarding our fellowships or the application process to scholarly@loc.gov

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Israel: Attorney General Supports Delaying New October 7 Commission of Inquiry Until Next Government Is Appointed

08/31/2026 12:51 PM EDT

In June 2024, petitioners asked the Israeli Supreme Court to order the government to appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel and the resulting war, pursuant to section 1 of the Commissions of Inquiry Law, 5729-1969. (HCJ 4889/24.) On August 19, 2026, Israel’s attorney general submitted that a commission of inquiry into the events of October 7 should be undertaken by the next appointed government following the upcoming elections in October.Responsibility and LessonsThe October 7, 2023, coordinated attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants and other armed groups resulted in 1,183 fatalities and more than 4,000 wounded. Terrorists took 251 people hostage, including 42 deceased persons whose bodies were seized. The attack involved killings, sexual violence, kidnapping, and widespread property offenses....

 

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Congress.gov: House Floor Today Update

Hershel ‘Woody' Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act (08/31/2026)
Congress.gov: House Floor Today Update

Kayleigh’s Law Act of 2026 (08/31/2026)

Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act (08/31/2026)

NDO Fairness Act (08/31/2026)
Congress.gov: House Floor Today Update

To make technical amendments to title 49, United States Code, as necessary to improve the Code. (08/31/2026)

Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2026 (08/31/2026)
Congress.gov: House Floor Today Update

To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions which were formerly classified to chapters 14 and 19 of title 25, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors. (08/31/2026)

To make improvements in the enactment of title 54, United States Code, into a positive law title and to correct related technical errors. (08/31/2026)

To make revisions in title 51, United States Code, as necessary to keep the title current, and to make technical amendments to improve the United States Code. (08/31/2026)

To make improvements in the enactment of title 41, United States Code, into a positive law title and to improve the Code. (08/31/2026)

To make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain provisions classified to title 2, United States Code, title 50, United States Code, and title 52, United States Code, and to correct related technical errors. (08/31/2026)