December 18, 2025 Explore the Creation of “Oz” and Experience Poetry and Music During Live! At the Library in January

Visitors can mark the 125^th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz” and explore the book’s legacy on stage and screen while viewing a special display at the Library of Congress during Live! At the Library in January. “The Music of Oz” includes reproductions of music and lyric manuscripts, costume designs and photographs from films and musicals inspired by the book, including the 1939 film, “The Wiz” and “Wicked.” The Library also is featuring a special display marking the 250^th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps.

During Live! At the Library, visitors are also invited to listen to a poetry reading and conversation with Oludamini Ogunnaike, a Nigerian-American poet and scholar. Ogunnaike's work includes his essay and podcast series "The Logic of the Birds" and his poetry collection, "The Book of Clouds." This event will be held Jan. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. A special curated display of materials from the African and Middle Eastern Division collections will be on view before the talk.

The celebrated Grammy-nominated Mexican contemporary classical percussion ensemble Tambuco returns to the Library on Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. for the annual Founder's Day concert with a dynamic repertoire by Latin American composers. This performance will feature music that ranges from delicately intricate to powerfully expansive. 

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.

Live! At the Library attendees 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 January

Jan. 8: Join us in the Great Hall for happy hour food and drinks, plus extended hours to explore our exhibitions. Register for tickets. 

Jan. 15: Attend a screening of the beloved comedy classic "Groundhog Day" (1993, PG, 1h 41m), added to the National Film Registry in 2006. Watch Phil Connors relive the same day over and over again at 6 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium. Register for tickets. 

Jan. 22: Join Nigerian-American poet and scholar Oludamini Ogunnaike for a poetry reading and conversation on Jan. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. His work reflects on spiritual, philosophical and social themes, drawing on a long tradition of thinking and speaking lyrically through West African Islamic poetic forms, especially the Sufi Qasida and Ghazal, to sing what cannot be said, but must be expressed. Register for tickets. 

Jan. 29: Grammy-nominated Mexican percussion ensemble Tambuco returns to the Library of Congress for the annual Founder's Day concert on January 29 at 8 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium. Register for tickets. 

Exhibitions On View

• The Library’s 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. The exhibition has been extended through July 4, 2026.

• “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.

• “The Music of Oz: Treasures from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘The Wiz’ and 'Wicked’” is a special display that marks the 125th anniversary of L. Frank Baum's novel "The Wizard of Oz." This display features music and lyric manuscripts, costume designs and photographs from films and musicals inspired by the book, including "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), "The Wiz" (1978) and "Wicked" (2003). Highlights include a reproduction of the only lyric sketch for "Over the Rainbow" known to exist. The display is on view through Jan. 31.

• The “United States Marine Corps Turns 250” display from the Library’s Veterans History Project celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps through photographs, documents, posters and more, reproduced from the Library of Congress’ collections. This small display is on view through Jan. 31. 

• “Art of War: Artwork from the Veterans History Project” is a small display on view through Jan. 31. Since 2000, the Library’s Veterans History Project has collected, preserved and shared the stories of American veterans. In addition to oral histories, photographs and documents, the Veterans History Project collects works of art. This display features artworks reproduced from the collection.

• 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.