Libraries
What Makes the Library of Congress a Monument to Democracy
The world’s largest book repository has expanded far beyond its original scope to include sound recordings and digitized collections
Did an Enslaved Woman Try to Warn the Americans of Benedict Arnold's Treason?
New research sheds light on Liss, who was enslaved by the family of a Culper Spy Ring leader and had ties to British spymaster John André
A Library's Mysterious Trove of Wax Cylinders Will Soon Break Its Century-Long Silence
The recordings may include mundane conversations—and some of opera’s most legendary singers
This Small Library Off the Coast of Maine Is Collecting Banned Books
With challenges to books in the United States at a high, the Matinicus Island Library is a remote haven for controversial literature
Controversial Teddy Roosevelt Statue Will Be Moved From NYC to North Dakota
The equestrian monument will leave the steps of the American Museum of Natural History, finding a new home at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
How Memphis Created the Nation's Most Innovative Public Library
You can play the ukulele, learn photography or record a song in a top-flight studio. You can also check out a book
Singer and Artist Solange Debuts Free Library of Rare Books by Black Authors
Readers in the U.S. can borrow 50 titles, including collections of poems by Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes and a sci-fi novel by Octavia Butler
Rediscovered Medieval Manuscript Offers New Twist on Arthurian Legend
The 13th-century pages, found by chance at a British library, show a different side of Merlin, the magician who advised Camelot's king
At the Harry Truman Library and Museum, Visitors Get to Ask Themselves Where the Buck Stops
Interactive exhibitions pose questions about the decision to drop the nuclear bomb, the Red Scare, Truman's foreign policy and more
Why Free, Miniature Art Galleries Are Popping Up Across the U.S.
Modeled on Little Free Libraries, these pint-sized museums make art accessible during the pandemic
You Can Now Explore an Unseen Trove of Franz Kafka's Personal Papers Online
The National Library of Israel has digitized a rare collection of the "Metamorphosis" author's letters, drawings and manuscripts
This American Monk Travels the World to Rescue Ancient Documents From Oblivion
Father Columba Stewart has visited sites from Kathmandu to Timbuktu in his mission to safeguard precious manuscripts that tell humanity's story
Back in the Day, These Vintage Supplies Kept Libraries Running
Modern technology replace these tools and supplies, but these drawings bring back many happy memories of checking out a book
Why the Cape Town Fire Is a Devastating Loss for South African Cultural Heritage
The inferno destroyed much of the University of Cape Town's special collections, including rare books, films, photographs and records
This Library in Brooklyn Is Home to the World's Largest Sketchbook Collection
With more than 50,000 sketchbooks, the Brooklyn Art Library in Williamsburg is still accepting submissions
Celebrate National Library Week With Bibliophilic Backgrounds for Your Virtual Meetings
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives offers book lovers these nine stylish backdrops
Step Into the Pages of 'Goodnight Moon' With This Enchanting Exhibition
On view at Fort Makers in NYC, the show features 14 artists' reimagined interpretations of objects from the beloved children's book
Calling All Bibliophiles: Here's How to Adopt a Book
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives invites you to a series of four Adopt-a-Book Salons in March and April
The Fever That Struck New York
The front lines of a terrible epidemic, through the eyes of a young doctor profoundly touched by tragedy
Hundreds of Holocaust Testimonies Translated, Digitized for the First Time
The Wiener Holocaust Library plans to upload its entire collection of survivor accounts by the end of the year
