Now you can access podcasts and resources from the Library of Congress at iTunes!  Here is what Matt Raymond of the Library of Congress blog has to say about this exciting new Web 2.0 addition for LOC:

Blog. Twitter. YouTube.  iTunes.  Yeah, we speak Web 2.0.

You nation’s Library has millions of stories to tell, so we’re trying to tell them as many places and to as many people as possible–whether on our own website or elsewhere.  And now you can add another biggie to the list: iTunes U.

For those who don’t know, iTunes U is an area of the iTunes Store offering free education audio and video content from many of the world’s top universities and other institutions. (The iTunes application is needed to access iTunes U, and is a free download from www.apple.com/itunes.)

The Library’s iTunes U page launched today with a great deal of content, with much more to come.  (Link here, opens in iTunes.)  A nice bonus, for those in the know, is that the content is downloadable and even includes materials such as PDFs.

As always, it’s also available in the Library’s own corner of the web.

So as long as people keep finding new ways to get information, we’re going to keep finding ways to get it to you!

YouTube – LibraryOfCongress’s Channel via kwout

Oh, happy day!  The Library of Congress YouTube Channel is officially open!

Timeless treasures and contemporary presentations from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. As the world’s preeminent reservoir of knowledge, we are the steward of millions of recordings dating from the earliest Edison films to the present. In addition, we sponsor events, lectures and concerts that are free and open to the public. More about the Library: http://www.loc.gov/about

You can visit the channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/LibraryOfCongress .  Here is a sample video:

From the Library of Congress:

The Veterans History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center plans several activities and events for Memorial Day 2008, including the Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. in support of the White House Commission on Remembrance. Visit the Library of Congress blog at www.loc.gov/blog/ or the VHP Web site at www.loc.gov/vets/ to “count down” to the Moment of Remembrance.

Other VHP Memorial Day programs, which are dedicated to the memory of our nation’s veterans, include:

• • A lecture on the global war on terrorism on Tuesday, May 20, at noon, in the National Digital Library Learning Center, first floor of the Library’s James Madison Building at 101 Independence Ave., SE. Larry Minear, former director of the Humanitarianism and War Project at the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University, will deliver the findings of the Tufts study on “The U.S. Citizen-Soldier and the Global War on Terror: The National Guard Experience.”
• • The lecture’s companion Web feature, “The Global War on Terror,” debuts today at www.loc.gov/vets/ and highlights 16 VHP collections included in Minear’s study.
• • The VHP collection of Frank Buckles, the last known surviving World War I veteran, is featured in the Memorial Day observance at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo.
• • The video-recorded story of James Nappier becomes the 5,000th digitized interview on Memorial Day. Bob Patrick, VHP director, said, “Mr. Nappier’s story is a reminder to our nation that VHP is eager to receive the stories of veterans of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
• • Members of the Library’s Integrated Library System (ILS) will join VHP staff during the month of May to enhance the VHP searchable database, which allows researchers and others who use the VHP collections to navigate the database more quickly and efficiently.

Learn more about the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance at www.remember.gov.

The Veterans History Project was created in 2000 by Congress to record the first-hand accounts of American service personnel in major conflicts beginning with World War I, and it actively collects veterans’ personal accounts of the Global War on Terror. Currently there are more than 55,000 individual stories in its collections.

Volunteer are always being sought to record the first-hand recollections of war veterans for the growing archive. Those interested can download a VHP Field Kit from the Veterans History Project Web site at www.loc.gov/vets/, request a kit via email at vohp@loc.gov or call the toll-free message line at 888-371-5848.

Are you a fan of Stephen King?  Then be sure to check out this great webcast of Stephen King and his family at The Library of Congress Webcast!  Here is how the Library of Congress describes this episode:

The PEN/Faulkner Writers in Schools program, in collaboration with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, hosted world-renowned author Stephen King, his wife, novelist Tabitha King, and son, writer Owen King, in a reading and discussion for students at the Library. The King family read and discussed their work with students from Cardozo High School, IDEA Public Charter School and McKinley Technology High School.

You may also want to visit the official Stephen King website at http://www.stephenking.com/ or check out one of his books from our media center. 

Stephen King and Family Speak at the Library Webcast (Library of Congress) via kwout

Anyone who is 13 or older can participate in the “Inspiration Across The Nation” program sponsored by The Library of Congress.  You can submit original poems, original artwork, original photography, original videos, and original essays—any original work that can be submitted electronically may be submitted to this special program!

Here are the guidelines:

• The Library of Congress welcomes your creative submissions now through May 31, 2008.
• You must be at least 13 years of age to participate.
• You are fully responsible for everything you submit and agree to send no infringing, defamatory, obscene or slanderous content.
• Upon submitting, you release all ownership rights to your content, which is then released into the public domain.

At Library of Congress’ discretion, your submission may become part of the online mosaic featured on this Web site and be included in the site’s online glossary. If selected, your first name, last name, city, state, and local library branch—along with your actual submission—will be displayed. The Library of Congress reserves the right to post or remove your content for any reason whatsoever, without consent, and has no obligation to post or retain your submission on its Web site.

Submissions posted on the Library’s Web site do not represent official Library of Congress communications.

File Requirements

• Video:Accepts .avi, .mpeg, .wmv or .mov
  (Up to 5 minutes or no more than 10MB)
• Audio:Accepts .wav, .mp3, .wma or .ra
  (Up to 5 minutes or no more than 5MB)
• Images:Accepts .tif, .jpg, .gif, .png
  (No more than 5MB or 4256 x 2832 dpi)
• Text:.doc, .txt, .rtf
  (No more than 1MB)

To view a sample gallery, please go to http://www.loc.gov/experience/inspire/gallery.html?LB=138459&TB=138459&PC=100.  If you would like to submit your work, go to http://www.loc.gov/experience/inspire/submit.html to upload your submission.

We know many of you students here at Creekview are extremely creative and talented!  Please consider contributing your work to this landmark project!

Mrs. Hamilton

Take a sneak peek at The Library of Congress Experience that will be opening this weekend, April 12!  What exactly is this experience?  Here is how the Library of Congress explains it:

The Library of Congress Experience offers you an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in the largest collection of knowledge the world over, more than 138 million artifacts! Interactive technology brings history to life with touch, allowing you to travel back in time by virtually “handling” the rarest of treasures.

You can learn more by visiting http://www.loc.gov/experience/; for detailed information on the exhibitions, please visit http://www.loc.gov/experience/inside.html.  You can even visit this online exhibition entitled “Exploring the Early Americas”!