Today in History–April 24–the Library of Congress celebrates its own birthday. On this day in 1800, President John Adams approved a $5,000 appropriation to purchase “such books as may be necessary for the use of congress.” According to Thomas Jefferson, any book would be useful: ” . . . there is in fact no subject to which a member of…
Today in History–March 13–the Library of Congress features rare children’s books. Someone wrote “Enoch Brooks’ Book, Princeton, March 13th, 1789″ in permanent ink in a Library of Congress copy of a rare children’s Bible: A Curious Hieroglyphick Bible published by Isaiah Thomas. Learn more about this early American printer and literature publisher by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to…
Today in History–August 2–the Library of Congress features novelist, essayist, and playwright James Baldwin, born on this day in 1924. Influenced by a teacher—poet and Harlem Renaissance leader Countee Cullen—Baldwin went on to earn his own place in literary history. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access some of the Library’s top literary treasures….