Library of Congress

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Trump to SCOTUS: Let Me Fire Copyright Chief

Federal appeals court blocked Perlmutter's dismissal

(Newser) - The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to fire the director of the US Copyright Office. The administration's newest emergency appeal to the high court was filed a month and a half after a federal appeals court in Washington held that the official, Shira...

The US Has a New Poet Laureate



The US
Has a New
Poet Laureate
Sep 15, 2025 7:09 AM CDT

The US Has a New Poet Laureate

Arthur Sze is appointed as the Library of Congress faces challenges

(Newser) - At a time when its leadership is in question and its mission challenged, the Library of Congress has named a new US poet laureate, the much-honored author and translator Arthur Sze. The library announced Monday that the 74-year-old Sze had been appointed to a one-year term, starting this fall. The...

Library of Congress Unveils Rare Draft of 'Over the Rainbow' Lyrics

Handwritten drafts, memorabilia from film join national collection in DC

(Newser) - The Library of Congress has added a rare trove of Wizard of Oz memorabilia to its collection, highlighted by the only known draft of lyrics for "Over the Rainbow." This pencil-written sketch by lyricist EY "Yip" Harburg shows the song's now-iconic line originally envisioned as...

Former Trump Personal Lawyer Now Heads Library of Congress

DoJ No. 2 Todd Blanche appointed acting librarian of Congress

(Newser) - Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who represented President Trump in his 2024 criminal trial, has been appointed acting librarian of Congress, the Justice Department said Monday. Blanche replaces longtime librarian Carla Hayden, whom the White House fired last week amid criticism from conservatives that she was advancing a "woke"...

Trump Abruptly Fires Librarian of Congress

Move sparks backlash after Carla Hayden faces conservative group criticism

(Newser) - President Trump on Thursday fired Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, effective immediately, according to an email obtained by the AP . The Obama appointee, who was confirmed by the Senate in 2016 and was the first woman and first African American to hold the role, had her 10-year term...

A Familiar Chime Joins Our 'Nation's Playlist'

Also added to National Recording Registry: Tracy Chapman, Hamilton , Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'

(Newser) - The Microsoft Windows 95 startup chime, a sound intended to convey "welcome, hopefulness and progress," has officially become one of "the sounds of America." The rather lengthy chime has been added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, along with 24 other titles, bringing the...

'80s 'Culture-Changers' Enter National Film Registry

Dirty Dancing , Beverly Hills Cop are among this year's entrants onto Library of Congress' list

(Newser) - Each year, the librarian of Congress picks 25 movies that are at least a decade old and "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant to enter the National Film Registry. Per Variety , there were more than 6,700 entrants this year, all submitted by the public as possible contenders. This year'...

ABBA, Biggie, Blondie All Have Something New in Common

More than 2 dozen performers are added to Library of Congress' National Recording Registry

(Newser) - Songs and others recordings that are at least a decade old are eligible to ascend to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, "based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation's recorded sound heritage," per a release . This year, the registry welcomes 25 new...

Super Mario Bros. Theme Is Officially a 'Defining' US Sound

It enters the National Recording Registry, along with 24 other 'sound artifacts'

(Newser) - Mario, Madonna, and Mariah have entered the national audio canon. Madonna’s star-making 1984 album Like a Virgin, Mariah Carey’s 1994 holiday perennial "All I Want For Christmas Is You," and the original 1985 theme from Super Mario Bros. are now in the US National Recording Registry...

'I Just Twerked and Played James Madison's Flute From the 1800s'

Lizzo borrowed priceless instrument from Library of Congress for DC concert

(Newser) - Singer Lizzo is also a classically trained flautist—and she is one of the few people ever to play a crystal flute French craftsman Claude Laurent sent President James Madison as a gift for his second inauguration in 1813. Lizzo played the flute, borrowed from the Library of Congress, at...

'Poet Who Connects' Gets Nod From Library of Congress

Ada Limon, 46, is nation's 24th poet laureate

(Newser) - The country's next poet laureate, Ada Limon, has long thought of her work as a public art form. "I grew up with poetry being in the community," says Limon, a native of Sonoma, Calif. "It wasn't supposed to just be something read on [the] page;...

Alicia Keys, Wu-Tang Clan Albums Claim a Major Honor

25 songs, albums, and even a podcast are added into National Recording Registry

(Newser) - Critically acclaimed debut albums by Wu-Tang Clan and Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin's Latin pop megahit "Livin' La Vida Loca," and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" are among the recordings being inducted this year into the National Recording Registry. The Library of Congress announced on Wednesday the 25...

Cruz Slams Library of Congress' New Term for 'Illegal Aliens'

Texas senator blasts LOC for 'politically motivated' swap of term for 'noncitizens'

(Newser) - Ted Cruz has no problem with the term "illegal alien," and he's miffed that the Library of Congress is moving away from it. Per the Hill , the GOP senator from Texas, along with Republican Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, penned a nearly five-page-long letter Wednesday to the...

Man Claiming to Have Bomb Near Capitol Surrenders

Floyd Ray Roseberry is taken into custody after standoff

(Newser) - A man who claimed to have bomb in a pickup truck near the US Capitol has surrendered to law enforcement, ending an hourslong standoff on Thursday, per the AP . The man, identified by law enforcement officials as Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49, of North Carolina, crawled out of the vehicle and...

25 More Recordings Deemed a Key Part of Our Soundscape

Music by Louis Armstrong, Janet Jackson, Nas will be inducted to National Recording Registry

(Newser) - Janet Jackson's socially conscious album Rhythm Nation 1814, Louis Armstrong's jazzy When the Saints Go Marching In, and Nas' debut release Illmatic are among 25 recordings being inducted to the National Recording Registry. The Library of Congress announced Wednesday that Patti LaBelle's song "Lady Marmalade" and...

These Recordings Deemed Important to Our Soundscape

Dr. Dre album, Whitney Houston song make the cut

(Newser) - Dr. Dre's classic debut rap album The Chronic, Selena's sophomore release Ven Conmigo, and the worldwide disco hit "YMCA" by the Village People are among 25 recordings being inducted into the National Recording Registry. The Library of Congress announced Wednesday that Tina Turner's "Private Dancer,...

Library of Congress to Stop Collecting Every Public Tweet

As of Dec. 31, 2017

(Newser) - Your brilliant tweets will no longer be archived for posterity, at least not by the Library of Congress. On Tuesday it announced a change to its policy of collecting every publicly posted tweet. It reached an agreement to do so with Twitter in 2010 , and per a white paper , that...

America's New Poet Laureate Has Big Plans

Tracy K. Smith wants to bring people together through poetry

(Newser) - Tracy K. Smith, the country's new poet laureate, would like to start a conversation. "A poem asks you to let go many of your assumptions, move away from your own certainties and to listen," says Smith, 45, a Pulitzer Prize winner whose appointment to a one-year term...

25 Movies Added to National Film Registry

'Thelma & Louise' and 'Lion King' are among them

(Newser) - The Library of Congress has added 25 more titles to the National Film Registry, with familiar ones such as the Lion King, the Princess Bride, and Thelma & Louise making the cut. The additions now bring the total number of films in the registry to 700, reports Time . To qualify,...

The 14th Librarian of Congress Is a Woman

Carla Hayden is also the first African-American in the post

(Newser) - The nation's new librarian of Congress makes history on two fronts: Carla Hayden is not only the first woman to hold the post, she's the first African-American to do so, reports Time . The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Hayden for the job, making her the 14th person to run...

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