Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Lori writes

I love the LOC, too, and I was on their Prints and Photographs website every day for the last two weeks, searching for high-quality images for a work project. Thank God for LOC because they keep original negatives and transparencies when lately it seems like all image collections are a 'race to the bottom' quality-wise.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Main Reading Room, Wow!


Anyone (18 years of age and older) can read, write, or hang out here.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Paul writes

I love the Library of Congress. The reference staff has always been terrific. I
love the slanted tables where your books can cascade onto the floor if you are
not careful. I love the main reading room under the rotunda. I love the
excellent quality photocopiers. I love the reopened researcher's entrance and
the sense of privilege it bestows. Recently I had dealings with Margaret
Kieckhefer, who created a TIF image of a plate of a nineteenth century book for
me, and the job was done delayed by reshelving. A few days ago the book came
in and now I have the plate, perfectly scanned. Without the LoC, by the way, I
would be stuck with our UMD library, which has its charms, and is personable
and efficient, but which has a thin and worn selection of Africana.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Sit among the fabulous murals of the Hispanic Reading Room


Anyone can work in the Hispanic Reading Room or any of the other area studies rooms. The Hispanic Reading Room is particularly pleasant because of its splendid murals and big wooden tables. Also, this reading room has great staff. In addition, the Hispanic Reading Room has the amazing Archive of Spanish Literature on Tape, in which about 660 authors have been recorded reading their own works, including Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia), Octavio Paz (Mexico), and Pablo Neruda (Chile). You just have to make an appointment to listen to these recordings.