Family Day at the Library of Congress: Grand Opening of The Source

Date and Time

• Saturday, May 9, 2026  10am - 5pm

Location

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Details

Take part in a full day of free family-friendly fun and performances to celebrate the opening of The Source: Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery. Enjoy activities highlighting Library materials, staff specialists, and performances. Join an author talk with bestselling cocreators Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud as they discuss their middle grade graphic novel, "The Cartoonists Club."

The program will be held on the ground, 1st and 2nd floors of the Library’s Jefferson Building from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on May 9, 2026. The event is free, but tickets are required for the Jefferson Building. Register for free building entry tickets.

Separate ticketing is required for the 2 p.m. author talk in the Coolidge Auditorium. Register here.

Programming Schedule:

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Explore The Source, the Library’s new space for kids and teens to discover collections and start a research journey. Jefferson Building Ground Floor

10:30 a.m. –2:30 p.m.: Drop in for collections-based activities on the 2nd floor mezzanine. Create a research journal to use as you explore resources and talk to staff experts about folklife and traditions, researching family history, comics and graphic arts, historic films, and preservation and conservation. LJ119

11:00 – 11:30 a.m.: Celebrate the grand opening of The Source with Panquility Band and the vibrant sounds of steel pan. Enjoy a performance of the joyful melodies and rhythms of soca, calypso, and more. Great Hall

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: Join staff from the Music Division for a discussion of their work and collections, a behind-the-scenes peek at the Library’s famous Stradivari stringed instruments, the Dayton C. Miller Flute Collection, the Gershwin Gallery, and much more. Whittall Pavilion

1:00 – 1:30 a.m.: Attend a screening of short films included in The Source and learn more about the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center and its collection of historic films, recordings and technologies. LJ119

1:30 – 2:00 p.m.: Join staff from the Music Division for a discussion of their work and collections, a behind-the-scenes peek at the Library’s famous Stradivari stringed instruments, the Dayton C. Miller Flute Collection, the Gershwin Gallery, and much more. Whittall Pavilion

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.: Join bestselling cocreators Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud as they discuss their middle grade graphic novel, "The Cartoonists Club." This interactive program includes inspiration for creating comics, live drawing and a Q&A, followed by a meet and greet with the authors. Coolidge Auditorium. Separate, free ticketing is required for this event. Register here.

2:30 – 3:00 p.m.: Attend a screening of short films included in The Source and learn more about the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center and its collection of historic films, recordings and technologies. LJ119

3:00 – 4:30 p.m.: Meet and greet graphic novelists Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud. 2nd floor mezzanine