In April 2018, Bruce Weissgold began volunteering with Preservation Services in the Libraries’ Book Conservation Lab (BCL). Originally from Queens, New York, and a current resident of Virginia, Bruce recently retired after twenty-five years with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) where his specialty was International Wildlife Trade Policy.

With Halloween just around the corner, what better time than now to search for candy catalogs in the Trade Literature Collection? As you might expect, there are many catalogs describing either the candy itself or the machinery used to make candy. One catalog takes a slightly different angle.

The Smithsonian has introduced Smithsonian Profiles, a searchable directory of the Smithsonian’s scholarly experts. The Smithsonian’s dedication to research supports hundreds of staff scholars and every year it attracts more than 1,000 fellows and research associates from around the world, all of whom work within the Institution’s 19 museums, nine research centers, three cultural centers and the National Zoo. Smithsonian Profiles outlines the expertise of current Smithsonian-affiliated scholars, connecting its audiences with more »

 Explore the worlds’ largest museum library system while learning valuable skills in information science! Apply for the Smithsonian Libraries Spring 2019 General Internship program. Applications due November 16th, 2018.  Brief project description can be found below. See our General Internships page for full information.   

The Smithsonian Libraries presents a new exhibition, “Game Change: Elephants from Prey to Preservation,” at the National Museum of Natural History beginning Oct. 4. “Game Change” will be on display through Feb. 1, 2020. “Game Change” traces the shift in public attitudes about elephants from the late 19th century to today. The Smithsonian Libraries’ collections illustrate how perspectives about elephants have evolved over time, from the early popularity of big game hunting more »

On the occasion of Between Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor, the first major retrospective ever organized for an artist born into slavery and the most comprehensive look at Bill Traylor’s work to date, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Sept. 28, 2018 – Mar. 17, 2019, we take a look at a special Traylor work in our library collections.  Bill Traylor’s art is colorful—floating silhouettes of yellow, red and purple dogs, more »

The Neville-Pribram Mid-Career Educators Awards grants funding for teachers and educators to explore the collections of the Smithsonian Libraries and make use of them for educational materials.  The awards are open to middle & high school teachers, college teachers, and museum educators who are developing educational materials.