Libraries abroad: Library of Congress Junior Fellows display collection treasures

The Library of Congress Junior Fellows Summer Interns presented more than 225 rare, unique and historic items from 36 Library divisions. This will be only the second year that “Display Day” is open to the public since the program’s inauguration in 1991.The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on July 25, 2018.

The display gives fellows the opportunity to discuss the historic significance of the collection items they have researched and processed during their 10-week internships. It also shows how their discoveries will help expand access to Library resources for members of Congress and researchers including scholars, students, teachers and the general public.

Spectators can expect to learn about the U.S. Copyright Office’s earliest records from the late 1800s, manuscripts by composer Igor Stravinsky, literary maps of American fiction with machine readable cataloging records and geographic information systems and a new Chrome browser extension featuring the Library’s free-to-use digital collections.

Working under the direction of Library curators and specialists in various divisions, 40 junior fellows – selected from more than 700 applicants across the country – explored the institution’s collections and resources. They were exposed to a broad spectrum of library work: research, copyright, preservation, reference, access, standards, information management and digital initiatives.