"Alive in Many Hands" The American Folklife Center at 50

Open September 17, 2026

The American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress turns 50 in 2026, marking a half century of preserving, presenting and supporting folk culture!

In 1776, Congress charged the center with safeguarding the nation’s living cultural traditions — everything from fiddle tunes and quilt patterns to holiday rituals, occupational skills and family recipes. Today, the center maintains one of the largest folklife archives in the world. It exchanges knowledge and expertise with scholars and communities and produces public programs that bring these traditions to life.

“Alive in Many Hands,” part of the Library’s America 250 celebrations, pulls from the best of those collections to show how tradition thrives in countless hands across the country.

Celebrating 50 Years of the American Folklife Center - Panel Discussion Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT A community of dedicated people who built the American Folklife Center will be gathering to celebrate 50 years of preserving and presenting folklife at the Library of Congress. Many critical figures – former and current directors, staff and board members – will assemble to tell the story the Center. Come celebrate the Center with the people who built it as they as they look toward the next 50 years of preserving and presenting folklife at the Library of Congress. Learn More.

Hebraic Collections at the Library: An Online Orientation for New Researchers Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. EDT Join us for this orientation introducing Hebraic collections and research services. Librarian Sophia Shoulson will guide you through the extraordinary offerings of the Library’s Hebraic Section and answer your questions. She will highlight key resources, strategies for browsing the collection and demonstrate how to use the Library search systems and research guides to locate materials of interest. Learn More.

Researching Women in France & French Caribbean History Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 02:00 p.m. - 03:00 p.m. EDT Join us for a virtual orientation to researching women in France and French Caribbean history at the Library of Congress! We will show you digital resources, including primary sources and other useful tools to support your research. At the end of the session, you'll have the opportunity to connect with collection specialists during a Q&A. Learn More.

Live! At The Library: Exhibition Opening "Alive in Many Hands" Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 05:00 p.m. - 08:00 p.m. EDT Join us for the grand opening of the Library’s newest exhibition, “Alive in Many Hands: The American Folklife Center at 50.” Celebrate a half century of the American Folklife Center by exploring how the Center helps preserve and share living cultural traditions, practices and expressions throughout the world, including music and dance, food traditions, crafts-making, storytelling and more! Learn More.

Alive in Many Voices - A Concert to Open the Exhibit, Alive in Many Hands: The American Folklife Center at 50 Thursday, September 17 | 07:00 p.m. - 08:00 p.m. EDT To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Folklife Center (AFC) and the public launch of the exhibition, Alive in Many Hands, AFC Board of Trustee members Natalie Merchant, Martha Gonzalez, and Lori Pourier will host an evening of performances by three groups of young musicians representing cultural communities from across the United States. Special guests include performers of traditional Oglala Lakhota (Sioux) songs, Chicano music from East Los Angeles and old-time music from Appalachia. Learn more.

Film screening: Black Narcissus (1947) Thursday, September 17 | 07:00 p.m. - 09:00 p.m. EDT Deborah Kerr and Kathleen Byron lead this vivid, technicolor tale of a group of Anglican nuns who attempt to establish a convent and school in a former palace in the Himalayas but struggle with isolation, cultural tension and personal desire. Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and winner of two Academy Awards. Learn more.

Constitution Day: The Life and Work of President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft Friday, September 18, 2026 | 02:00 p.m. - 05:00 p.m. EDT Join us in person or online for our annual Constitution Day event! Learn about the life and work of William Howard Taft, President and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Dive into Taft's interpretations of the Constitution, listen to an interview about Mrs. Taft's life and work and explore a display of Taft-related items from the Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Learn more.

Family Day: Celebrating 50 years of the American Folklife Center Saturday, September 19, 2026 | 10:30 a.m. - 03:30 p.m. EDT Let's celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Folklife Center! Enjoy activities, displays and explore the new exhibition “Alive in Many Hands: 50 Years of the American Folklife Center,” to discover American folklife through the themes of “foodways,” “work,” “play” and “place.” Learn more.

AMS Lecture: “Music, Disputes, and the Silent Western: The Yaqui (1916),” Mariana Whitmer, PhD Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | 07:00 p.m. - 08:30 p.m. EDT Mariana Whitmer speaks at the Library as part of the long-running series of American Musicological Society lectures hosted by the Music Division. Whitmer's talk will use the scenario cue sheets created by Max Winkler and Ernst Luz, part of the Music Division’s collection, to discuss the musical representation of "the West" in silent films. Learn more.

A Congress.gov Public Forum Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 01:00 p.m. - 03:00 p.m. EDT Join the Congressional Research Service and the Law Library of Congress in person or online for our annual Congress.gov Public Forum. Explore updates and enhancements to Congress.gov through expert-led presentations and share your thoughts on how we can better serve your legislative information needs through interactive Q&A sessions with our staff. Learn more.

Live! At The Library Thursday, September 24 | 05:00 p.m. - 08:00 p.m. EDT The Library's Thomas Jefferson Building is open for extended hours every Thursday evening from 5 to 8 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour snacks and drinks available for purchase in the Great Hall while immersing themselves in the Library's exhibits, collections and programs. Learn more.

Live! At the Library: The Beauty of Eastern Storytelling with Henry Lien Thursday, September 24 | 07:00 p.m. - 09:00 p.m. EDT Join us for a conversation featuring writer Henry Lien, author of the nonfiction title "Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird: The Art of Eastern Storytelling," as he explores the many variations of storytelling forms and the art of creating a satisfying tale. Book sales and signing to follow. Learn more.

Live! At the Library: Celebrating Italian Fashion's Enduring American Legacy

Thursday, September 24 | 05:00 p.m. - 08:00 p.m. EDT

Visitors are invited to explore the reciprocal influence of Italian fashion on American culture, and of American markets, celebrity culture and investment on Italian fashion’s global rise through an engaging conversation between two distinguished experts: Barbara Faedda, Executive Director of the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies at Columbia University, and Sara Gay Forden, journalist and author of The House of Gucci.

The discussion includes themes of entrepreneurship, creative vision and cultural dynamics that made Italian fashion a defining force in American life and a global phenomenon. 

The program will be accompanied by a curatorial display, “Italian Fashion at The Library of Congress: From Corriere delle Dame to the Runways of Milan and Fifth Avenue, on to Global Destinations,” featuring selections from Library of Congress collections tracing the evolution of Italian fashion media and design and its sustained engagement with American audiences across two and a half centuries. 

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