See what we have planned for the big screen this coming Thursday and Friday at the Packard Campus.

This summer marks a major milestone in the Library of Congress mission to preserve and provide access to its wide range of collections as the ten millionth item is transferred to offsite storage. Since the Library’s collection is continuously growing, it is essential to rely on offsite storage for managing such a vast and varied …

The police mug shot -- that staple of tabloid life -- was in its infancy in the late 19th century. The U.S. Secret Service, charged with investigating counterfeiting rings but lacking photo equipment, took their arrested suspects to formal portrait studios to have photos taken and then added to their case files. The Library preserves more than 1,200 of these. They offer a marvelous glimpse at how we lived and looked in days gone by.

On May 21, 2025, the Tunisian Parliament reportedly approved Law No 9 of 2025 with near unanimous support. According to news reports, the law regulates employment contracts and bans subcontracting. It amends the 1996 labor law and entered into force on May 29, 2025.Content of the Law Under Law No. 9 of 2025, fixed-term labor …

Continue reading “Tunisia: New Amendments to the Labor Law Regulate Employment Contracts”

The American Folklife Center is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2025 fellowships and awards. Archie Green Fellowships went to: Joel Chapman of Baltimore, Maryland, for “Cycling Lore: The Occupational Folklore of Bicycle Workers in America;” Georgia Ellie Dassler of Richmond, Virginia, for “Vets on the Trail: The Occupational Culture of American Sled Dog Veterinarians;” Amy Grossmann of the North Carolina Folklife Institute for “Professional Firefighters in Greensboro, North Carolina;” and Austin Richey of Hamtramck, Michigan, for “Backstage Detroit: Labor and Artistry at the Detroit Opera.” Their documentation will become part of AFC’s online Occupational Folklife Project. Gerald E. And Corinne L. Parsons Fund Awards went to: Lora Bottinelli of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to conduct onsite research with Library collections related to waterfowling; and Olivia Phillips of Bloomington, Indiana, to research the influences of African American musicians and musical styles on the influential North Carolina musician Frank Proffitt. Blanton Owen Fund Awards went to: Allison Cate of Nashville, Tennessee, for oral history interviews with founders and key organizers of the East Nashville Tomato Art Festival; and Justin Hunter of Fayetteville, Arkansas, for “She Heard Arkansas: An Ethnographic Biography of Mary Parler.” The Artists in Resonance Fellowship went to Amanda Pascali for a project focused on immigrant collections, including Italian and Sicilian-language folksong collections, at AFC. In the blog you’ll find more information on the awardees and their projects.

This blog describes the keynote talk for the 17th Annual International Mongolian Studies Conference hosted by the Asian Division at the Library of Congress.