The Library of Congress is great

This summer I have spent nearly every weekday in the Library of Congress' European Reading Room, and it is wonderful. First, I have had access to an immense array of books and articles for my academic writing and, more recently, for my syllabus creating. I have no idea how other academics get access to all these works, including both very obscure works from other countries, in foreign languages, and the newest mainstream books. For example, last week, within minutes, I received at my desk Denise M. Lynn's Claudia Jones: Visions of a Socialist America, which came out late last fall with Polity Press. My university doesn't have a copy of it. In the DMV, only Georgetown University has a copy, and it's a hard copy. This lack of access to books will only get worse as our universities are cutting library budgets. Also earlier this year I was reading copies of the Yugoslav journal Financije, which no university in the DMV has. I could wait for weeks to get my university to order volumes through Inter-Library Loan, but why? I can just sit down at my desk in the LoC reading room and have them brought to me, as many volumes as I like. 

Yesterday, I said hi to a historian of Russia and said that I had been here nearly every day all summer, "Isn't this great?" He said, "I love it. What can I say?" Pure joy in the Library of Congress.

What is Stacks? Is it great?

Well, for some time now, I have been looking up books and not finding them in the Library of Congress catalog or there is this link to Stacks. Sitting in the European Reading Room working on my laptop, I have tried to use this Stacks thing to find e-books, and it never worked. I've found out that you can only access e-books at the Library of Congress on one terminal in each reading room. There is no real problem with getting access at this one terminal because 1) no one seems to know about Stacks and 2) you would have to move and sit at a terminal to read the e-book. Here is where the Stacks link is:

As the Library of Congress states, "Briefly, Stacks is a software platform developed at the Library of Congress to render and enable access to materials that can only be made accessible on dedicated reading room terminals." I suppose that this means that over 100,000 e-books only available on solo terminals have replaced what would have been physical books. At university libraries and the public libraries, you can check out and read e-books wherever you want in the reading room/library or elsewhere. 

Stacks seems sort of sad.

Happy 125th Birthday to the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress

 

The Library of Congress, Washington. Photochrome print by Detroit Publishing Company, c1900. //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/det.4a31954

November 1, 2022 by Kristi Finefield, https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2022/11/happy-125th-birthday-to-the-jefferson-building-of-the-library-of-congress/?loclr=eaptb

On November 1, 1897, the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress opened to the world. Today we mark its 125th birthday. This magnificent building was the Library of Congress’ first home away from the U.S. Capitol, where it had first been established in 1800.

This was a pivotal moment in the history of the Library as we moved to expand our mission. In addition to serving the U.S. Congress, we would establish ourselves as the national library of the United States. In 1870, U.S. Copyright law began to require that those claiming copyright on books, maps, visual materials such as engravings or photographs, dramatic and musical compositions and so on must send two copies to the Librarian of Congress. In the first 25 years of this law, vast quantities of books, maps, prints, photos, and more came to the Library in the U.S. Capitol.

Librarian of Congress Ainsworth Rand Spofford pushed for a separate building for the Library of Congress and saw his decades-long dream come to fruition in November 1897. The Prints & Photographs Division shares its birthday with the building, as we were established as the Department of Graphic Arts at that time. We became the Division of Prints in 1899. And here is the reading room as it looked in the early 1900s in the Jefferson Building:

[Reading Room, Prints Division, Library of Congress] Photo by Levin C. Handy, ca. 1900. //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a37604

To read more about the great Library of Congress: https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2022/11/happy-125th-birthday-to-the-jefferson-building-of-the-library-of-congress/?loclr=eaptb

“A Masterwork” on libraries today

A fascinating book review of Sam Popowich’s “brilliant” “masterwork” Confronting the Democratic Discourse of Librarianship: A Marxist Approach. The reviewer talks about the contradictory position of librarians in our capitalist world. During the pandemic, they have been further called upon to do so much, including risky work. Libraries themselves provide so much for us in our economically exploitative world. Among other interesting points, the review talks about Popowich’s use of:

Fobazi Ettarh’s concept of “vocational awe,” which refers to “the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in notions that libraries as institutions are inherently good, sacred notions, and therefore beyond critique.”

This vocational awe allows for the unviable and uncritical exploitation of these workers. A critical view of our love of libraries and our admiration of librarians is necessary especially within an economically exploitative world that simultaneously undermines and exploits librarians’ great work.

The book review: https://networks.h-net.org/node/11717/reviews/10374436/fisher-popowich-confronting-democratic-discourse-librarianship

Reading and Doing Research in the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress opened again to researchers a little over a year ago, on June 1st, 2021. It has been wonderful to have a great place to read, write, and do research. Since then, I've used the Manuscript Reading Room, the Newspaper & Current Periodicals Reading Room, and the European Reading Room (see photo of the ERR below). Now, researchers don't have to have appointments to use the reading room, just a reader/library card, which is easy and quick to get. I am in the European Reading Room today, and I didn't have an appointment. Here is all the info for researchers: https://research-appointments.loc.gov/

 

Yesterday's Bomb Threat

After a police officer directed us away from the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, several of us researchers made our way to the back entrance of the Madison Building. When we got inside, we heard another police officer say that we were the last ones in the Library because of a lockdown. This sounded pretty good to me and another researcher, since we could spend lockdown getting some real research done in the Library. 

Well, I didn't make it to the reading room I was intending to go to. Instead, the Newspaper and Current Periodicals Reading Room kindly welcomed me in to what became a sheltering in place due to a bomb threat nearby. Eventually, we were told to evacuate and go home.

I must say that it wasn't a terrible experience. The Library of Congress staff were very calm, kept us aware of what was going on, and were very kind. As I made my way through the Library from beginning to end, I learned quickly what was going on from the police, police walkie talkies, staff, and other readers. I knew that the staff was well prepared for such evacuations, since over the years we had evacuated for fire drills, etc. People in all sorts of positions were just very kind and thoughtful.

Yet another reason to say: The Library of Congress is Great!

DC Permafrost (Part 3)

In June, a Library of Congress employee showed me that she was running a heater at her feet because it was so cold. Also, at least one police officer working inside the building was wearing an outdoor fall/winter coat. It was in the 90s outside.  

P.S. How about setting indoor air conditioning at 73 degrees or, even better, at 75 degrees?

DC Permafrost (Part 2)

 As a result of encouragement from my colleague in Austria, I brought my thermometer to the Library of Congress yesterday and today. Today, it is 71 degrees in the Main Reading Room. I have two sweaters on, and wished that I owned some finger-less gloves because my hands are quite cold. The readers around me have sweaters and jean jackets on. One employee has a long shirt and wool sweater vest. Yesterday, it was 72 degrees in the European Reading Room, which seemed to be an especially cold day there. It is 77 degrees outside today. 

Here is a summary of the temperature readings:

• LoC Main Reading Room: 71 degrees (8/4)
• LoC European Reading Room: 72 degrees (8/3), 73 degrees, much better (8/4)
  
• Metro Bus #36: 71 degrees, really cold (8/3)
• Silver-line Metro: 75 degrees, actually somewhat ok (8/4)
• DC Public Library, Southeast Branch: 74 degrees (8/4)
  
• Outdoor temperature: 77 degrees, muggy. 

Take away: Stop the insane air conditioning!

P.S. How about setting indoor air conditioning at 73 degrees or, even better, at 75 degrees?

DC Permafrost

About 10 years ago, I was going to start a blog called "Permafrost" to document the freezing indoor summer temperatures across DC, but I never got myself mobilized. The Library of Congress' Main Reading Room was going to be my first case study, but it is just one example of the insane air-conditioning experienced across DC offices.

Once the Main Reading Room opened again, I jumped at the possibility of ordering books from the general collection for the first time since early 2020. However, it was bitter cold in the Main Reading Room. I told others that it was colder than the Arctic. I forgot and only brought a sweater, but it wasn't enough. At lunch time, I went out into the immensely hot, mid-day sun, but could not warm up enough to return to the Main Reading Room. So, I just went home. 

When I thought about creating the blog, one colleague in the Main Reading Room daily wore a down vest, scarf, and gloves. More recently another colleague wrote: 

I could never understand why they do this. I used to bring not only sweater and pants, but gloves and scarf. It would still take me half an hour to defrost after I left. And I also took refuge in the European room (although I found it cold there, too) 

I am much happier now that the European Reading Room has opened, which is warmer. (The Hispanic Reading Room is also a more rational temperature.) My sweater keeps me warm enough. They even have a thermometer in the room, so there is some monitoring. I also very much like the community in the European Reading Room. 

Take away: Stop the insane air conditioning!!!

P.S. This might seem like a strange complaint, since the pandemic expelled us from these hyper-air-conditioned buildings. Now is exactly the right time finally to halt this insane air conditioning. 

P.P.S. Unfortunately, the European Reading Room is too cold today (8/2/2021)! I'm leaving earlier to escape and warm up. I saw that one of the employees has a big down coat in their office. Just one of more sign of how cold it can get indoors during the summer here in DC.

The Joy of Being One of the First 30 People Back in the Library

 As I exited the Newspaper and Current Periodicals reading room on June 1st, I was interviewed as one of the first 30 people back in the Library of Congress reading rooms.  

Wonderful!

On Tuesday, June 1st, 2021, I was among the very first people to return to the Library of Congress reading rooms. Since then, I have been working most days in the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room. It is so very wonderful to be back. The staff is so helpful as always. The materials are amazing as always. Thank you to the Library of Congress for opening. I and many others greatly appreciate it.

The Library Book

I highly recommend The Library Book by Susan Orleans. The book is about the 1986 burning of the Los Angeles Public Library and expands into fascinating discussions of libraries, LA, arson, book burning, daily life in the Library, etc. My favorite sections were her explorations of the LA Public Library archives, where she learned about the most popular books in the 1920s, the questions asked by those calling the Library info desk in the 1980s, and other hilarious and insightful fun facts. As a review in the LA Review of Books wrote, libraries are spaces we can actively cherish:

In an era of neoliberal capitalism, the “publicness” of the public library is an increasingly rare commodity. When everything is scrutinized under the cost/benefit analysis, our public libraries function like rebels, resisting the encroaching legion of policies that monetize all things in their path. 

Visit a public library in the new year and experience this publicness in all its glory. The DC Public Library has 81 copies of The Library Book waiting for you across the District branches. Anyone who resides, works, pays property taxes or attends school in the District of Columbia (and in several MD and VA countries) can get a free card (how to get a library card; if you live outside these areas, you may apply for a regular library card by visiting any library location in person. The cost is $20 and the card is good for one year).

Also visit the Library of Congress reading rooms and read a couple books there. Anyone from anywhere who is 16 years of age or older can do this!

The view from my desk

The view from my desk everyday in the European Reading Room in the Library of Congress:

The new poet laureate Joy Harjo

The Librarian of Congress has named the new poet laureate, the wonderful Joy Harjo. According to the Washington Post, "The poet laureate position, maintained through the Library of Congress, comes with a beautiful office in the Jefferson Building and a modest stipend, but no official duties. Each poet is free to design the one-year position however he or she would like." I have seen the poetry office, and I can say not only that it is beautiful, but it also has a spectacular view from the very top of the Jefferson Building.

The poet laureate position is one of the many things that make the Library of Congress great. And the poet laureate will kick off the literary season in Washington, DC.

Here is one of her poems:

'Singing Everything'

Once there were songs for everything,

Songs for planting, for growing, for harvesting,

For eating, getting drunk, falling asleep,

For sunrise, birth, mind-break, and war.

For death (those are the heaviest songs and they

Have to be pried from the earth with shovels of grief).

Now all we hear are falling-in-love songs and

Falling apart after falling in love songs.

The earth is leaning sideways

And a song is emerging from the floods

And fires. Urgent tendrils lift toward the sun.

You must be friends with silence to hear.

The songs of the guardians of silence are the most powerful —

They are the most rare.

“Singing Everything” copyright © 2019 by Joy Harjo. To be published in “An American Sunrise,” by Joy Harjo (August 2019; W. W. Norton & Company). Reprinted in the Washington Post by permission of Anderson Literary Management.

Seen near the Hispanic Reading Room on Tuesday