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Books

A scene of the wreckage left behind by a hurricane that swept through the Florida Keys in 1935.

How Hurricanes Have Shaped the Course of U.S. History

A new book examines the 500-year record of devastating storms affecting the nation’s trajectory

Louisa May Alcott wrote "Aunt Nellie's Diary" in 1849, almost 20 years prior to the publication of Little Women.

Early Short Story by Louisa May Alcott Published for the First Time

The “Little Women” author wrote “Aunt Nellie’s Diary” in 1849, when she was 17 years old

The Alaska Army National Guard used a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to remove the bus featured in the book and film "Into the Wild." The bus was removed due to public safety concerns. Hundreds of fans of the book and film had undertaken the dangerous pilgrimage to reach the bus's remote location, resulting in the deaths of two women.

‘Into the Wild’ Bus Airlifted Out of the Wilderness

Dangerous and even deadly pilgrimages to the bus prompted officials to remove the bus due to public safety concerns

Google's Wing drones can carry packages weighing up to three pounds.

Covid-19

Virginia School District Will Use Drones to Deliver Summer Reading

Montgomery County has partnered with Google’s Wing service to distribute library books

This 1484 copy of Tuhfat al-Ahrar was produced during the lifetime of Jāmī, considered Iran's last great mystical poet.

The National Library of Israel Will Digitize 2,500 Rare Islamic Manuscripts

The cultural institution estimates that the process will take three years to complete

This month's selections include The Beauty and the Terror, Feasting Wild and Splash.

Books of the Month

The Dangers of Space, Military Rivals and Other New Books to Read

These five recent releases may have been lost in the news cycle

The plaintiffs argue that the online library’s offerings are theft.

Covid-19

Publishers Sue Internet Archive for Copyright Infringement

The online library loosened restrictions on its collection of scanned books at the end of March in response to the pandemic

The author is quick to point out that The Ickabog is separate from the Harry Potter series.

Education During Coronavirus

Read J.K. Rowling’s New Children’s Book Online for Free

The “Harry Potter” author is also asking young readers to submit illustrations of “The Ickabog”

Fumigation was used on library book collections in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when book-borrowing was seen as a possible disease vector.

Ask Smithsonian

How Do Libraries Clean Books? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got question. We’ve got experts

Filmmaker Taika Waititi will lead celebrities in a virtual reading of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach to raise funds for the fight against COVID-19.

Education During Coronavirus

Join Meryl Streep, Taika Waititi for Roald Dahl Charity Read-Along

Mindy Kaling, Liam and Chris Hemsworth, and Benedict Cumberbatch are among the celebrities collaborating to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 on Liberty Island in New York Harbor.

The 1924 Law That Slammed the Door on Immigrants and the Politicians Who Pushed it Back Open

Decades of xenophobic policy were overturned, setting the United States on the path to the diversity seen today

A broadsheet campaigned to save the house once owned by John Hancock.

How Historic Preservation Shaped the Early United States

A new book details how the young nation regarded its recent and more ancient pasts

This week's selections include Enemy of All Mankind, Who Ate the First Oyster? and Daughter of the Boycott.

Books of the Month

A Notorious 17th-Century Pirate, the Many Lives of the Louvre and Other New Books to Read

The seventh installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

Enroll in Hogwarts classes, find out which house you belong in, and listen to the audiobook version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Education During Coronavirus

Hear Daniel Radcliffe Read the First Chapter of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’

The actor is one of 17 celebrities slated to participate in newly announced read-alongs of the series’ first book

Studying the rich panoply of Dominican folklore to use in her work, poet Elizabeth Acevedo seeks to learn from the myths and legends and to ask deeper questions.

Elizabeth Acevedo Sees Fantastical Beasts Everywhere

The National Book Award winner’s new book delves into matters of family grief and loss

This week's titles include Death By Shakespeare, Empires of the Sky and How to Feed a Dictator.

Books of the Month

Shakespearean Stabbings, How to Feed a Dictator and Other New Books to Read

The sixth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

Micrograph of a well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma

How Evolution Helps Us Understand and Treat Cancer

A new book argues that controlling cancer is within reach if scientists are able to anticipate the evolution of resistance to traditional treatments

This week's selections include The Women With Silver Wings, Tombstone and The Restaurant.

Books of the Month

A 2,000-Year History of Restaurants and Other New Books to Read

The fifth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

Folium was used to illustrate illuminated manuscripts—and color the rind of a popular Dutch cheese.

Art Meets Science

Researchers Follow a 15th-Century Recipe to Recreate Medieval Blue Ink

The purplish-blue pigment, derived from a Portuguese fruit, fell out of use by the 19th century

This week's selections include The Betrayal of the Duchess, Anonymous Is a Woman and Nerve.

Books of the Month

The Science of Fear, the Royal Scandal That Made France Modern and Other New Books to Read

The fourth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

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