Library of Congress International Collections

Excited about the 2026 World Cup? Explore over 90 years of the tournament’s history through the Library’s latest Research Guide.

Research Guides: World Cup, 1930-: Introduction This research guide highlights Library of Congress collections on the FIFA World Cup.

LoC Digitizes the First Greek 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 Printed in the United States

By Nevila Pahumi, Reference Specialist for Albanian and Modern Greek

Last year, the Library of Congress acquired what is believed to be the first modern Greek language version of 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 published in the independent United States. The Boston-based publisher, Hilliard & Metcalf, published the school text in 1812. The title page depicted below notes that this version was adapted for young students—presumably ones who already had intermediate reading skills in Greek and Latin.

𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 are a beloved trove of ancient wisdom narrated in the form of moral stories. They have traveled across the world and been translated into many languages through the centuries. Aesop, the travelling sage who is linked to the fables, is said to have been a freed slave who lived in Greece in the sixth century B.C.E. According to sources as mythical as the man himself, Aesop was a consultant of sorts—an adviser to King Croesus, and a riddle-solver to another king in Babylonia. Whatever his origins and actual life story, Aesop's fables are known for their simplicity, humor, and wisdom. And as such, they hold enduring appeal today.
The Library of Congress holds countless editions of 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 , documenting this rich millennial tradition of adaptation and translation of the fables to different audiences and into many languages. Many are derived from the version of Jean de La Fontaine, the acclaimed seventeenth century French fabulist, which I also read in elementary school. For a richer, in depth exploration of 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 at the Library of Congress, look at this lovely blog post written nearly a decade ago. https://blogs.loc.gov/international-collections/2017/04/aesops-fables-at-the-library-of-congress/

Since then, many of the Library’s Fables have been digitized and are available to read and download for free online at loc.gov. And now, too, so is this very first Greek version of the fables published in the newly independent United States. If you’d like to step back in time and find out what Greek texts American students in the early nineteenth century were engaging with, Æ𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘪 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭æ 𝘎𝘳æ𝘤𝘰-𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯æ. : 𝘊𝘶𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘴, 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢. : 𝘌𝘵 𝘢𝘥 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪æ 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭æ 𝘌𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 is a great example! https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdc.00549689644/

Aesop. Æ𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘪 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭æ 𝘎𝘳æ𝘤𝘰-𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯æ.: 𝘊𝘶𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘴, 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢.: 𝘌𝘵 𝘢𝘥 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪æ 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭æ 𝘌𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢. Bostonii: Sumptibus Cummings et Hillard. Cantabrigiæ. Hilliard et Metcalf typographis, 1812. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2025393084/

Two American women moved to France and were spellbound by the foods and culture they found. While they took their newfound passion for cooking and eating in different directions, their writing, and unique personalities, prompted Americans to reconsider how they prepared and enjoyed food. Read the full blog to hear more about the experiences of M.F.K. Fisher and Julie Child.

https://blogs.loc.gov/international-collections/2026/05/french-cuisine-fisher-child/

Image information: Bouillon Racine, historic Belle Époque restaurant. 3 rue Racine. Latin Quarter, 6th Arr., 2022. Photo Credit: Erika Hope Spencer.

Alt text: Interior view of ornate bar inside Paris restaurant

Former Library of Congress Intern Odette Abouzeid writes about her experience learning Lithuanian as a child and how she ended up utilizing those language skills in reviewing and cataloging a collection of Lithuanian/Baltic Free Press materials on the shelves in the European Reading Room. Head over to the 4 Corners blog to read more!

https://blogs.loc.gov/international-collections/2026/05/baltic-free-press/

**AAPI Heritage Month Event - May 07, 2026 | 6-8pm EDT**
Join us to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, as the Library of Congress and the Old Korean Legation Museum host a screening of “Songs of Love from Hawaii,” a documentary about early Korean immigrants to Hawaii. Following the screening, director Jinyoung Lee will answer questions from the audience. The program also features a demonstration of pansori, a traditional Korean musical performance, and a display collection items honoring AAPI history, culture and contributions to American society.

RSVP at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/76701143/celebrating-aapi-heritage-month-with-songs-of-love-from-hawaii-washington-events-from-the-library-of-congress

For more information, see https://www.loc.gov/item/event-421118/celebrating-aapi-heritage-month-with-songs-of-love-from-hawaii/2026-05-07/?loclr=fbint

Join us on Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 6:00 pm-7:00 pm EDT: Author Lori Carlson-Hijuelos will discuss her new memoir 𝘈 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦, reflecting on the life she shared with her husband, the Pulitzer Prize–winning Cuban American writer Oscar Hijuelos (1951–2013), whose papers are held at the Library of Congress.
Featuring excerpts from Hijuelos’s unfinished, semi-autobiographical novel 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘺, Carlson-Hijuelos explores their love story alongside themes of collaboration, spirituality, destiny, and grief. Book sales will follow the program.

Register here: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/93397200/made-at-the-librarya-writing-marriageby-lori-carlsonhijuelos-washington-events-from-the-library-of-congress

Headshot credit: Beowulf Sheehan

On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, the African and Middle East Division will host a lecture by Professor Laura Arnold Leibman titled “1776: Jews and the American Revolution.” Materials throughout the Library’s divisions tell the story of Jews in the early days of the United States. The Manuscript Division holds correspondence between George Washington and Moses Seixas, which serve as the foundation for the First Amendment’s assertion of religious liberty. The Hebraic Section of the African and Middle East Division holds the first Hebrew Bible printed in the United States in 1814, which has since been used by Jewish members of Congress for their swearing-in ceremonies. Professor Leibman will discuss these artifacts and more during her lecture

Reserve your tickets here:
https://www.loc.gov/item/event-420709/1776-jews-and-the-american-revolution-with-laura-arnold-leibman/2026-05-06/

Pressing the Past: Materials, Markets, and Meaning
On May 4 and May 5, AMED is holding a workshop on printing in African, Hebraic, and Middle Eastern Languages
This two-day workshop convenes specialists in book history, bibliography, conservation, and cultural history to examine the emergence and development of printing in African, Hebraic, and Middle Eastern languages during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Drawing on textual and material evidence, participants will investigate the full range of the printed book's life cycle - from the physical properties of ink, paper, and type design to the commercial networks that governed trade, distribution, and readership. Attention will also be given to the social and intellectual conditions that shaped editorial practice, patronage, and the dissemination of texts to diverse audiences.
Workshop participants will have the opportunity to examine primary materials drawn directly from our collections.
Please join us!
To attend in person, please register at http://go.loc.gov/70WH50YEGTT
To attend virtually, please register via zoom at http://go.loc.gov/3ymC50YFe7O

With heavy hearts, we’re sharing the news of the passing of Georgette Dorn, the former chief of Hispanic Division and so much more, earlier this week. She left an enduring legacy at the Library of Congress over her decades long career. Georgette often liked to tell visitors and new employees, “every day is different; every day is an opportunity to learn something new about the Library and its unsurpassed collections.” To read more about her extraordinary life, you can access her full obituary here: https://www.lawlerfuneralhome.com/obituary/Georgette-Dorn

Pressing the Past: Materials, Markets, and Meaning
On May 4 and May 5, AMED is holding a workshop on printing in African, Hebraic, and Middle Eastern Languages

This two-day workshop convenes specialists in book history, bibliography, conservation, and cultural history to examine the emergence and development of printing in African, Hebraic, and Middle Eastern languages during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Drawing on textual and material evidence, participants will investigate the full range of the printed book's life cycle - from the physical properties of ink, paper, and type design to the commercial networks that governed trade, distribution, and readership. Attention will also be given to the social and intellectual conditions that shaped editorial practice, patronage, and the dissemination of texts to diverse audiences.
Workshop participants will have the opportunity to examine primary materials drawn directly from our collections.

Please join us:

To attend in person, please register at http://go.loc.gov/70WH50YEGTT (alt link https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=0d6436f8-feae-4d1c-beb9-e012d0752e14&envId=p-3AhSeeWCMU6Kt1UTuhImug)
To attend virtually, please register via zoom at http://go.loc.gov/3ymC50YFe7O (alt link https://loc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_PogdsEQCQnGw_-9SaFzK9Q?loclr=goloc #/registration)