April 17, 2025 James McBride, Aimee Nezhukumatathil and Jlin Join Live! At the Library in May

James McBride, the 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction winner, joins Live! At the Library on May 8 for a special conversation and book signing.

Also on May 8, visitors are invited to the Library’s Great Hall at 5 p.m. for a unique musical journey highlighting the intercultural tapestry of Jewish and Islamic traditions. Interweaving songs in Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish and Ladino, the New York Andalus Ensemble will present a pop-up performance celebrating shared cultural heritage and inspiration. Musicologist Edwin Seroussi will also discuss the Library’s Abraham Pinto collection and its recordings of 20th century Jewish Morocco.

Later in May, Live! At the Library will feature Jlin presenting the world premiere of an electronic music piece commissioned by the Library – and an electronic dance party – in the Great Hall on May 15. The series will mark the 100^th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 22. And the Library will present poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil at the second annual Mary Oliver Memorial Reading on May 29.

During Live! At the Library on Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour drinks and snacks available for purchase in the beautiful Great Hall overlooking the Capitol while visiting the Library’s exhibitions and programs.

Visitors are also 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.

Ticketing

For events during Live! At The Library, please use the event registration ticketing link found next to the event below or at loc.gov/live. This ticket grants access to the program as well as the Library’s exhibitions and the happy hour portion of the evening.

Programming Highlights for May

May 1: Grammy-nominated and NAACP Image Award-winning vocalist and composer, Somi Kakoma, brings her sextet to the Library of Congress for an evening of rich musical textures. This performance will begin at 8 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium. Register for this event.

May 8: 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction winner James McBride will give the annual lecture associated with the Prize, followed by a conversation with Library Literary Director Clay Smith. After the event, there will be a book signing in the Whittall Pavilion. The conversation will begin at 7 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium. Register for this event.

May 8: In celebration of Jewish-American Heritage Month, the New York Andalus Ensemble will perform songs in Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish and Ladino. This event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Great Hall. Register for this event.

May 8: Renowned musicologist Edwin Seroussi will discuss the Library’s Abraham Pinto collection and its recordings of 20th century Jewish Morocco. Register for this event.

May 15: Jlin brings her signature electronic dance party energy to the Library of Congress, where she will present the world premiere of the first electronic music piece commissioned by the Library. This event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall. Register for this event.

May 22: In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Merriam-Webster Editor at Large Peter Sokolowski explores the history of English spelling, the evolution of language in popular culture epitomized by the famous “Word of the Year,” and the long tradition of dictionary-making. This event will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium and will include an audience Q&A. Visitors to the Great Hall are invited to participate in a spelling-themed scavenger hunt and other word-game activities. Register for this event.

May 29: Bestselling poet and writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil will read with emerging poets Ariana Benson and Robin Walter. A moderated discussion will follow the reading. This event will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room LJ-119. Register for this event.

Exhibitions On View

• A new exhibition, “The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution,” explores the lives and legacies of George Washington and King George III of Britain, adversaries during America’s war for independence. The Library of Congress brings their papers together for the first time to reveal the real men behind the myths.
   
• “Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress,” the inaugural exhibition in the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery, draws from the Library’s rich Americana and international holdings in more than 450 languages and a variety of formats created across time and continents. “Collecting Memories” marks the ways and the means cultures preserve memory.

• Take a trip through a re-created version of Thomas Jefferson’s Library, which assembles 6,487 volumes that founded the Library of Congress, and learn how one of America’s great thinkers was inspired through the world of books.
   
• "A National Treasure: The Library of Congress" celebrates the history of the Thomas Jefferson Building, which opened to the public on November 1, 1897. Designed in an Italian Renaissance style, this building features the works of more than forty American sculptors and painters. It was also the first building in Washington, D.C., designed with electric lighting. The state-of-the-art facility was built to accommodate the Library of Congress’s burgeoning collections. 
   
• In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, The Library of Congress presents a display devoted to Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning poet Mary Oliver (1935–2019). Oliver had a close affinity with the outdoors from childhood. Her work is deeply rooted in her keen observations of birds and other animals, plants, light, and waterways. During her lifetime, she published more than twenty-five books of essays and poetry. This display will be on view from April 3 through May 21.

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 ways during extended evening hours from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday nights. 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.