The Library of Congress will open the doors of two of its specialized reading rooms for special evening events during Live! At the Library in October, the library announced.
On Oct. 8, the African and Middle Eastern Reading Room hosts an open house featuring collection displays and tours. The reading room serves as an important starting point for research on African, Hebraic and Middle Eastern topics. That same day, scholars Mbaye Lo and Carl Ernst will discuss the Arabic writings of enslaved African Muslims in the Americas and how those works were received in the United States, focusing on texts by Omar ibn Said, Abdurrahman and Sana See. A curated display of the Omar ibn Said collection will be on view starting at 4 p.m. before the conversation in the Mumford Room of the James Madison Memorial Building.
On Oct. 15, the Hispanic Reading Room welcomes visitors for an open house celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, with collection displays, family-friendly activities including trivia, reading room tours and papel picado crafts. Bestselling author Dana Bash will also bring her new book, "The Elections That Changed the World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live," to the library that day for a discussion on the most consequential elections in world history, from ancient Rome to recent American politics. Professor Maoz Kahana will deliver a lecture, "Gods, Rabbis, and Kabbalists," exploring how Jewish scholars reimagined classical mythology between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.
For America's 250th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the American Folklife Center, visitors are invited to a special edition of "Who Knew?" Trivia Night on Oct. 22, with questions covering the depth and breadth of folklife today. Neta Elkayam will perform with her New Orleans band, joined by special guest Moroccan vocalist Siham Chala, in a concert celebrating Morocco's intertwined Jewish and Muslim musical traditions, made possible through the support of Lilly Endowment Inc.
On Oct. 29, the Rare Book and Special Collections Division will host "Our Common Table: The Sweets That Bring Us Together," exploring American history through food. Panelists KC Hysmith, Stacey Mei Yan Fong and Lokelani Alabanza will discuss how desserts reveal stories of memory, migration and belonging, drawing on the division's historic cookbooks, recipes and ephemera.
During Live! At the Library on Thursday evenings, the Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8 p.m., with happy hour drinks and snacks available for purchase in the Great Hall. Attendees are also invited to walk inside the Main Reading Room, usually reserved for researchers.
Exhibitions on view include "The Declaration's Promise" in the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery, featuring Thomas Jefferson's rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and "Alive in Many Hands: The American Folklife Center at 50," which draws on more than 150 collection items.