NOTICE: The Library and its reading rooms will open to researchers at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, following a one-hour delayed arrival due to inclement weather.

Today in History - January 28

On January 28, 1908, author and activist Julia Ward Howe, famous for her composition, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," became the first woman elected to the Academy of Arts and Letters.  Continue reading.

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

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Poem 088 - "How To Tell Your Mother There Will Be No Grandkids In Her Future"

A poem by Ira Sukrungruang from the Library's Poetry 180 Project.

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NOTICE: Due to weather conditions, all Library of Congress Reading Rooms/Research Centers will open today on a delayed schedule at 9:30am, Wednesday, January 27, 2026.

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Live! At The Library: Adventures in Topographic Mapping

Celebrate terrain cartography at the Library of Congress on Thursday, February 26th from 5pm to 8pm with Adventures in Topographic Mapping, a special Live! At The Library event reaching new heights in mapping mountains and shaded relief!

Adventures in Topographic Mapping will feature interactive games and crafts, a display of topographic collection items from across the Library, and a talk by Tom Patterson, retired cartographer with the U.S. National Park Service, on techniques of terrain mapping through history.

This program, originally scheduled for November 2025, is a belated celebration of GIS Day, an annual event highlighting advancements in geospatial science and technology.

Tickets are free but required for this Live! At The Library event. These tickets can be reserved here.

You can reserve a ticket for Tom Patterson’s talk here. This ticket also provides access to the Live! At The Library event.

Event Schedule

All event activities will take place in the Thomas Jefferson Building (10 First Street SE, Washington, D.C.).

• 5pm to 8pm in the Great Hall: Learn the basics of orienteering, express your artistry with watercolor landscape painting, and help build a collaborative terrain model of the hills around Tombstone, Arizona!
• 6:30pm to 7:30pm in LJ-119: Tom Patterson, “From Airbrush to AI: A Talk on Cartographic Relief” (separately ticketed event: tickets here)
• 5pm to 6:30pm; 7:30pm to 8pm in LJ-113: Display of topographic collection items from across the Library (this display will be closed from 6:30pm to 7:30pm during Tom Patterson’s talk).

For more information, please see our recently-published blog post about the event.

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Join instructors Barbara Bavis and Robert Brammer for an Introduction to Congress.gov webinar on Thursday, February 12th at 2:00 p.m. EST. This orientation provides a basic overview of Congress.gov. While the focus of the session will be searching legislation and the Congressional member information associated with it, the new features of Congress.gov will also be highlighted.

Please register here.

Legal Reference Librarian (VAR003259)

• Opening Date: January 28, 2026
• Closing Date: February 18, 2026
• OPM Control Number: 855728300
• Vacancy Number: VAR003259
• LC Organization Unit: Law Library
• Grade: GS-11
• Series: 1410
• Minimum Salary: $85,447.00 per year
• Maximum Salary: $111,087.00 per year
• Availability: Open to All
• Telework Eligibility: Hybrid

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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THIS THURSDAY: Tambuco Percussion Ensemble

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Request ADA accommodations for onsite events five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov.

Announcing February 10 Webinar: Chronicling America for Historical Research

Sponsored by the Library of Congress' Serial and Government Publications Division and the National Digital Newspaper Program, the "Chronicling America for Historical Research" program will present Chronicling America as a research tool for students and educators in historical research. Participants will be introduced to the updated Chronicling America interface and learn to apply new features in order to successfully and efficiently research topics and themes of their choosing. They will also learn the benefits of including historical newspapers as a rich resource for research.

Join us for a webinar to learn the latest search strategies and explore the updated Chronicling America collection. Whether you're a student in the beginning stages of research or an experienced researcher diving into newspaper topics and themes, this webinar will help you master the new Chronicling America. We'll also touch upon the unique challenges of researching early historic American newspapers and offer tips for uncovering rich stories from the foundation of the United States.

This presentation will be hosted live on February 10, 2026 at 1:00 EST and will be recorded for later viewing. For those unable to attend this program at the time, the recording will be available for viewing afterward at the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room’s Event Webinars collection.

Individuals requiring ADA accommodations should submit a request at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov.

Please register for the event using the ZoomGov link.

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