Library of Congress Program - Persian Language Rare Materials Digitization Project

It’s been a while since we attended a program at the Library of Congress. I check the options almost daily, but there are particular subjects we are interested in. Now that we moved to Virginia it takes a bit more planning to arrive on time - we no longer live two blocks away. So we drove in quite early for a 9 AM program about digitizing the Persian language rare materials. We parked in our old neighborhood and walked over. It was a beautiful day for our outing. It was in the Jefferson Building - a place I’ve walked through many times - since I worked at the library for ten years. It’s not so much the programs but the idea of taking a ride to town and spending time in the old neighborhood. We didn’t stay for the entire four hours because we had other errands to run. But it was enjoyable enough to see some familiar faces and hear the latest updates of the Middle Eastern collections. We stopped to see some of the photo collection of the Czar, went upstairs to see the always lovely view of the great hall, and looked out the window to see the Capitol Building across the street. It does feel odd to walkabout the neighborhood we lived and worked in for so long - almost like an out of body experience. Maybe next time the program will be later in the day. Getting up early is something I don’t prefer to do. But once in a while it is worth it.