Enjoy Movies on the Lawn, Café Concerts During Live at the Library in August
Special Film Screenings Feature Veteran Stories, Library Sound Recordings
Enjoy summer movies and music on the lawn this August during Live at the Library. On Aug. 3, take a bachata class from Julissa Cruz of the Latin Vintage Dance Company before a screening of “Mary Poppins.” Plus, join the Library of Congress for screenings in the historic Coolidge Auditorium later in the month, and enjoy café concerts in the Great Hall starting Aug. 17.
On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour drinks and snacks available for purchase in the Great Hall overlooking the Capitol and the Library’s beautiful architecture while visiting the Library’s exhibits, collections and programs.
Visitors also are now invited to Experience the Main Reading Room during Live at the Library. Usually reserved for researchers, visitors can now walk inside and see one of Washington’s most beautiful spaces. Please note that due to strong interest and limited capacity, those with timed-entry passes are not guaranteed access.
Free timed-entry passes or an event registration are required to enter the Thomas Jefferson Building. Visit loc.gov/visit to reserve your pass for Live at the Library.
Programming Highlights for August
Aug. 3: Enjoy tunes from DJ Hercules at 6:30 p.m. and learn some beginner steps of bachata – the popular Latin dance taking over – from Julissa Cruz of the Latin Vintage Dance Company at 7 p.m. on the southeast lawn of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Stay for a screening of “Mary Poppins” (1964) at sundown. Timed-entry passes are not required.
Aug. 10: Join for a screening of “Jaws” (1975) on the southeast lawn of the Thomas Jefferson Building at sundown. Recorded music from Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Aymé Nuviola will be presented at 7 p.m. Timed-entry passes are not required.
Aug. 17: For the inaugural Live at the Library Café Concert, visitors are invited to enjoy a program of saxophone fusion from Project Fusion Sax Quartet on the Library’s Great Hall Mezzanine level. Café tables and food and beverage sales will be available in this picturesque space overlooking the U.S. Capitol Building. The quartet will perform two 45-minute sets, at 6:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Reserve timed-entry passes.
Aug. 17: Join for a documentary screening of “The Hike Back,” the story of Irreverent Warriors, an organization and support network for veterans with a mission to end veteran suicide, in the Library’s Coolidge Auditorium at 7 p.m. “The Hike Back” tells the story of raw and broken veterans turning the tide – one hike at a time. Register for tickets.
Aug. 24: Enjoy a cappella and acoustic guitar arrangements from Brandon Camphor & OneWay (BC1way) on the Library’s Great Hall Mezzanine level, part of the Library’s Café Concert series. The group features three alumni from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and will perform two sets, at 6:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Café tables and food and beverage sales will be available in this picturesque space overlooking the U.S. Capitol Building. Reserve timed-entry passes.
Aug. 24 (updated): From Cylinders to Surround Mixes – Join a festival of recorded sound, as the Whittall Pavilion will host demonstrations of quadraphonic sound and contemporary surround mixes. In the rooms along Mahogany Row, visitors will hear montages of recordings from the 1890s to the present that have been digitized at the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, as well as playback of original media by staff. Reserve timed-entry passes.
Aug. 31: Enjoy classical music and original arrangements of modern pop songs from the talented Rockville Strings Pop Quartet, part of the Library’s Café Concert series. The quartet will perform two sets, at 6:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Café tables and food and beverage sales will be available in this picturesque space overlooking the U.S. Capitol Building. Reserve timed-entry passes.
Exhibitions On View
View the display “Pride and Publishing: LGBTQ+ History in Print” through Aug. 10. Witness the power of activism and creativity in this display featuring the Library’s LGBTQ+ collections of self-published zines, newspapers and magazines, which illuminate historic movements and moments from the 1950s to present day.
Explore Library exhibitions during Live at the Library. The Library’s exhibition, “Join In: Voluntary Associations in America,” explores the history of voluntary associations that reveal the aspirations of Americans as “a nation of joiners,” while also acknowledging these groups have sometimes reflected society’s exclusions, discriminations and divisions. The exhibit is on display in the South Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building.
“Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America’s Library” represents a sampling of the more than 15 million photographs held by the Library, ranging from the early days of photography to today. Take a look at the “first selfie,” which is thought to be the world’s oldest known photographic self-portrait, and see important pictures of Harriet Tubman, the Wright brothers and more.
Find the latest event details at loc.gov/live, and subscribe to the Library’s Upcoming Events email list. Future events will be announced on a monthly basis.
Live at the Library is part of a broader effort to reimagine the visitor experience at the Library of Congress that invites visitors to enjoy the Library and its collections in new formats during extended evening hours on Thursday night. The series regularly features special conversations, music, performances, films and workshops that showcase the broad range of holdings at the national library.
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
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PR 23-063
07-20-2023
ISSN 0731-3527