DC dwellers and tourists should be aware that the Library of Congress is presenting “Pride in the Library,” a special pop-up exhibit that showcases items from the Library’s collections that feature LGBTQ+ creators and representations of LGBTQ+ life in America and around the world. Come to the Jefferson Building Friday and Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to see the fantastic display for yourself! You can read more about the pop-up display and LGBTQ+ resources at the Library of Congress on our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month 2017 online presentation, which includes a master list of what collection items are currently on display in the exhibit. The Music Division’s collections are represented in the “Entertainment” section of the exhibit, which includes RENT-related material from the Jonathan Larson Collection, a love letter from Farley Granger to Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber’s manuscript for Hermit Songs and the braille edition of the sheet music, Jennifer Higdon’s printed Viola Concerto with hand-written revisions, and much more. The Motion, Picture, Broadcasting and Record Sound collections are represented with video clips of Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and dancer Dudley Williams performing Alvin Ailey’s choreography for Barber’s Hermit Songs.

Other themes in the exhibit include the printed word, HIV/AIDS, activism, military life, and international studies. Four panels from the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt are on display, including panels remembering Alvin Ailey, Howard Ashman, and Library of Congress staff who died of AIDS during the height of the epidemic. “Pride in the Library” is presented in association with Capital Pride and LC-GLOBE.