Curator Sally Pierce and associate curator Catharina Slautterback review the history of the Boston Atheneaum's collections of prints and photographs, beginning with the Atheneaum's founding in 1807. They look at the contents of the collections; how the items were obtained, collected, and exhibited; and what they indicate about changes in tastes and available materials over time. The presentation includes slides.

The lecture's audio is also available for download.

Library of Congress scholar-in-residence Catherine Parisian details the history of the first White House Library, founded by the 13th U.S. President, Millard Fillmore, and later dispersed. Parisian reconstructs its contents and considers its significance in 19th-century U.S. history. The presentation includes slides.

The lecture can also be downloaded as an MP3.

Athenaeum program director and librarian Richard Wendorf looks back over the 200-year history of the Boston Athenaeum, using objects from the Athenaeum's collection to illustrate this history and focusing on points of change in that history.

Boston Public Library president Bernard Margolis and Athenaeum librarian and program director Richard Wendorf discuss ownership of cultural property and the question of whether the Boston Athenaeum should have become the Boston Public Library. The presentation outlines the early history of the Athenaeum and the history of the debate over whether the institution should become a public library.

An mp3 version of the lecture is also available for download.

Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections chief Mark Dimunation discusses a recently-completed project to reconstruct Thomas Jefferson's library—the library sold to the U.S. government to form the foundation of the Library of Congress. He deals with the history of the original collection, and what the collection reveals about Thomas Jefferson. The presentation includes slides.

The lecture audio can be downloaded separately.

Colonial Williamsburg master bookbinder Bruce Plumley describes hand bookbinding and discusses the value of books during the colonial era, including the value of Thomas Jefferson's personal library.

According to the lecture's page on the Library of Congress website, "The "New Deal" Franklin Delano Roosevelt had promised the American people began to take shape immediately after his inauguration on March 4, 1933. The multifaceted social, cultural, and fiscal recovery program aimed to reform and reinvigorate national life, and to end the Great Depression. Many New Deal administrators believed that art could be a part of the daily lives of all Americans, not just the elite, and could enrich the lives of all who came in contact with it. [. . . ]

Leading scholars present recent research based on New Deal materials, showcasing how innovative interpretation of the Library of Congress's archival holdings continues to inspire new revelations and reassessments of 20th-century American culture. Speakers include human rights activist Stetson Kennedy, who presents "Working for the New Deal: A Voice from the Era"; historian Michael Kazin from Georgetown University, who presents the keynote address; and Christopher Brieseth, from the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute at Hyde Park, N.Y., who provides a summation of the two days in his presentation on "Lessons from the New Deal for the 21st Century." Other scholars discuss topics as varied as the Native American contributions to the Federal Writers Project, WPA marionette theaters, and how New Deal researchers documented topics as diverse as traditional music, religion, and Puerto Rican culture."

The "New Deal" Franklin Delano Roosevelt had promised the American people began to take shape immediately after his inauguration on March 4, 1933. The multifaceted social, cultural, and fiscal recovery program aimed to reform and reinvigorate national life, and to end the Great Depression. Many New Deal administrators believed that art could be a part of the daily lives of all Americans, not just the elite, and could enrich the lives of all who came in contact with it.

Leading scholars present recent research based on New Deal materials, showcasing how innovative interpretation of the Library of Congress's archival holdings continues to inspire new revelations and reassessments of 20th-century American culture. Speakers include human rights activist Stetson Kennedy, who presents "Working for the New Deal: A Voice from the Era"; historian Michael Kazin from Georgetown University, who presents the keynote address; and Christopher Brieseth, from the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute at Hyde Park, N.Y., who provides a summation of the two days in his presentation on "Lessons from the New Deal for the 21st Century." Other scholars discuss topics as varied as the Native American contributions to the Federal Writers Project, WPA marionette theaters, and how New Deal researchers documented topics as diverse as traditional music, religion, and Puerto Rican culture.