Library of Congress
Today in History - October 7

Today in History - October 7

October 7, 1979 was the final day of the Fall roundup and trail drive for the Ninety-Six Ranch. Continue reading.

Cornell University welcomed its first 412 students to the rural campus overlooking Lake Cayuga in Ithaca, New York on October 7, 1868.  Continue reading.

 

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

 

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Poetry 180: Poem 022 - "Remora, Remora"

A poem by Thomas Lux from the Library's Poetry 180 Project.

Join Us on 10/29 for a Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar, titled “Digging In: Regulation of Mineral Excavation and Local Self-Determination in the Nordics”

10/07/2026 08:30 AM EDT

This blog post announces the upcoming Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar on October 29, 2026, titled "Digging In: Regulation of Mineral Excavation and Local Self-Determination in the Nordics", and presented by foreign law specialist Elin Hofverberg.

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My Job: Serena Ying-Ting Chiu and the American Folklife Center

10/07/2026 09:00 AM EDT

In this installment of the My Job series, Serena Ying-Ting Chiu tells us about her work as a library technician in the American Folklife Center, where she processes collections containing everything from old manuscripts to films and music recordings. She's a classically trained pianist, originally from Taiwan, and loves the kaleidoscope-like environment of cultures and traditions that swirl through the AFC.

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Jobs and Internship Opportunities Equipment Specialist (Electronic) (Vacancy#VAR003438)

Equipment Specialist (Electronic) (VAR003438)

  • Opening Date: October 06, 2026
  • Closing Date: November 06, 2026
  • OPM Control Number: 887700000
  • Vacancy Number: VAR003438
  • LC Organization Unit: Library Collections and Services Group
  • Grade: GS-12
  • Series: 1670
  • Minimum Salary: $102,415.00
  • Maximum Salary: $133,142.00
  • Work Schedule: Flextime
  • Promotion Potential: GS-12
  • Duty Location: Washington, DC
  • Security Clearance: Not Required
  • Availability: Open to All
This position serves as the National Library Equipment Repair Officer (ERO) within the Equipment and Infrastructure Section, Business Operations Division (BOD, National Library Service for the Blind/Print Disabled (NLS) in the Library Collections and Services Group (LCSG) at the Library of Congress (LOC).

Click here for more information.

To see more current job and internship opportunities at the Library of Congress, visit our careers site and our internship and fellowships site.

 

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News from the John W. Kluge Center:Today at 4pm: "Banking on Belonging" with John W. Kluge Jr. and Christine Mahoney

Banking on Belonging: Why Investing in Refugee Entrepreneurs Benefits Everyone

Don't forget that today at 4pm the John W. Kluge Center is hosting a discussion of the book “Banking on Belonging: Why Investing in Refugee Entrepreneurs Benefits Everyone,” with its authors, John Kluge Jr. and Christine Mahoney.

The event will take place on October 7, 2026 at 4pm in room LJ-119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress.

For those planning to attend in person, no registration is needed.

The book tells the stories of entrepreneurs from Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela, among others, and makes the case that they drive job creation and innovation in the countries they come to call home. Drawing on these stories, Kluge Jr. and Mahoney create a framework for classifying and understanding investment opportunities targeting displaced talent.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Molly O'Toole will interview Kluge and Mahoney.

This event can be viewed live on Zoom or in person in room LJ-119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress. For those planning to attend in person, no registration is needed. Register here to watch on Zoom. 

John Kluge Jr. is the founder of the Refugee Investment Network, as well as the founder or cofounder of additional investment funds and social enterprises, including Thistlerock Mead Company. He is the son of Kluge Center founder John W. Kluge.

Christine Mahoney is chief innovation officer and professor or public policy and politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Her previous books include “Failure and Hope: Fighting for the Rights of the Forcibly Displaced,” which directly inspired the founding of the Refugee Investment Network.

 

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Electrifying: Benjamin Franklin in the Library’s Collections and at October Family Day, 2026!

10/07/2026 10:00 AM EDT

Continue celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States with a deep dive into Ben Franklin and his achievements, at home and through a Family Day on October 17, 2026.

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John Steinbeck’s East of Eden and the Salinas Valley

10/07/2026 11:13 AM EDT

John Steinbeck’s East of Eden opens with the Salinas Valley, a landscape shaped by its weather, its plants and animals, and by the people who call it home. This post explores the novel’s publication history alongside earlier California books, preserved specimens, and images that reveal how landscapes—and books—change and endure over time.

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Jobs and Internship Opportunities Production/AV Specialist (VAR003441)

Production/AV Specialist (VAR003441)

  • Opening Date: October 07, 2026
  • Closing Date: October 21, 2026
  • OPM Control Number: 887708900
  • Vacancy Number: VAR003441
  • LC Organization Unit: Office of the Librarian
  • Grade: GS-9
  • Series: 1010
  • Minimum Salary: $70,623.00
  • Maximum Salary: $91,815.00
  • Work Schedule: Full-time – Flexitime
  • Promotion Potential: GS-01
  • Duty Location: Washington, DC
  • Security Clearance: Other
  • Availability: Open to All

This position is in the Center for Exhibitions and Interpretation (CEI) and supports the Exhibits Office (EO) as a hybrid Production/AV Specialist position assisting in the development, installation and maintenance of media initiatives for Library of Congress exhibitions as well as exhibit installation and fabrication.

Click here for more information.

To see more current job and internship opportunities at the Library of Congress, visit our careers site and our internship and fellowships site.

 

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Germany: Federal Court of Justice Clarifies Pastiche Exception for Music Sampling

10/07/2026 11:45 AM EDT

On September 3, 2026, the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH), the highest court of jurisdiction for civil and criminal matters, ruled on the requirements under which sampling music may qualify as a permissible pastiche under section 51a of the German Copyright Act (Urheberrechtsgesetz, UrhG). Section 51a implements relevant European Union law. In its ruling, the BGH relied on a clarification from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) regarding the interpretation of the term “pastiche.”BackgroundThe pastiche exception states that it is permissible to “reproduce, distribute and communicate to the public a published work for the purpose of caricature, parody and pastiche....

 

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Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers: What's New?

What's New?

Chronicling America is regularly updated with newly-digitized newspapers from contributors to the National Digital Newspaper Program. Digitized newspapers are delivered in the form of batches, where each batch can contain one to many issues, from one or more newspaper titles. Recently loaded batches can be discovered on the Chronicling America Research Guide. More details about the batch can be discovered by clicking on the batch name link.

Recent additions to Chronicling America include:

  • Georgia Baptist (Augusta, GA), 1898-1949. An African American newspaper published by civil rights leader, William J. White covered Black Baptist and general news.
  • Warm Springs Mirror, Warm Springs Advertiser (Warm Springs, GA), 1930-1954. The local paper for a small, hot springs resort town, popular for its healing properties in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among its notable, part-time residents was President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who passed away in the town on April 12, 1945.
  • Wiregrass Farmer and Stockman (Ashburn, GA), 1902-1918. The newspaper included "...collected local items of interest, selected general news, current events and especially Farm and livestock information..." during a period of rapid growth in the town.

Click here for more information.

 

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Origins of Uncle Sam Part 3: Cartoons and Advertising in the Nineteenth Century

10/07/2026 02:28 PM EDT

“Uncle Sam,” as a personification of the United States, certainly goes back to the early days of the nation, emerging soon after the American Revolution. Everyone agrees that his name is an expansion of the abbreviation “U.S.” for “United States,” which first appears in documents written by the founders in 1776. Since then, the character of Uncle Sam has become a beloved American icon. In this post, we’ll explore the development of the image of Uncle Sam, its relationship with the related images of “Brother Jonathan” and “Yankee Doodle,” and its becoming iconic through cartoons and advertisements of the 19th century.

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Costa Rica: Government Strengthens E-Commerce Consumer Protections

10/07/2026 03:57 PM EDT

In June 2026, Costa Rica enacted Legislative Decree No. 10946, the Law for Governance of Digital Services and E-Commerce, establishing a comprehensive framework to regulate the online exchange of goods and services and advertising directed at consumers. The law aims to guarantee consumers’ rights and expand their options and online autonomy through greater transparency in digital platforms. (Art. 1.) It will take effect on June 24, 2027, one year after its official publication.Key DefinitionsThe law introduces several updated definitions relevant to digital transactions.Electronic commerce: All offers, distributions, and sales of goods or services made through the internet, social media, websites, and virtual platforms. (Art. 4, incise b.)Digital content: Digital data or services that enable the creation, processing, sharing, or storage of digital information. (Art. 4, incise e....

 

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NLS BARD Support: Topic For October 2026 Patron Corner

Topic For October 2026 Patron Corner

On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. eastern time, the NLS Patron Engagement Section will host a Patron Corner. The topic for this program is Celebrating 20 Years of BARD: Part Two. The session will feature a panel of NLS colleagues and patrons who were part of the BARD beta test in 2006 and the first users of BARD. We will also offer an opportunity for audience members to express what BARD has meant to them as patrons.  

Please join us at: https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1659059099?pwd=3SodtbmALTT85MNnxbb0butQjpsspU.1 

Part One of this program took place on July 13 and featured NLS narrators who have worked in both the analog and digital age. A recording is available online at www.loc.gov/nls/news-and-updates/patron-corner.

When you join this Zoom event, you will be in the waiting room until the program starts. When you enter the room, you will be muted. Please stay on mute unless you are called on. If you want to ask a question, you may raise your hand by pressing Alt Y on your computer or Star 9 on your phone. Once you are called on, press Alt A on your computer or Star 6 on your phone to unmute yourself.

This meeting will be recorded. If you do not wish to be recorded, we ask that you avoid speaking during the call. Also, please note that since we are using Zoom.gov for these sessions, if you choose to dial in, you must use the Zoom.gov phone numbers provided. The regular Zoom phone numbers will not allow access to the Zoom.gov IDs.

Following is additional Zoom access information: 

 

Hi there,

Rorie, Tamara is inviting you to a scheduled ZoomGov meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

One tap mobile:

US: +16692545252,,1659059099# or +16469641167,,1659059099#

Meeting URL:

https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1659059099?pwd=3SodtbmALTT85MNnxbb0butQjpsspU.1

Meeting ID:

165 905 9099

Passcode:

891804

Join by Telephone

For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.

Dial:

+1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose) +1 646 964 1167 US (US Spanish Line) +1 646 828 7666 US (New York) +1 551 285 1373 US (New Jersey) +1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose) +1 415 449 4000 US (US Spanish Line)

Meeting ID:

165 905 9099

International numbers

Join from an H.323/SIP room system

H.323:

166.108.98.42 (US West) 166.108.66.42 (US East)

Meeting ID:

165 905 9099

Passcode:

891804

SIP:

1659059099@sip.zoomgov.com

Passcode:

891804

 

—The BARD Support Team

Send comments, questions, or concerns to NLSDownload@loc.gov
Like NLS on Facebook or subscribe to the NLS Music Notes Blog

 

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