Walking the Air Conditioned Halls of the LOC and the CVC

It is just dreadful outside and the week ahead looks about the same. We usually walk every morning for about three miles, but even if we got up early it wouldn't make any difference. On Saturday evening we drove out to Tysons Galleria mall and strolled a bit. Today we decided to walk the two blocks to the Library of Congress, then spend the rest of the time walking through the underground tunnels to the Capitol Visitor Center. So we entered at the corner of the building that I always went in for ten years as an employee of the library - now retired! The magnetometer and police are familiar, as are all the hallways. It was such a pleasure to walk in air conditioning rather than sweating to pieces. The Capitol Visitor Center was very busy, but the hallways and tunnels to and from were not. It's not something everyone would really know about, but I walked through there so many times before! We also passed through a few new and old exhibits - including the "America Reads" section that hosts the favorite books everyone likes to peruse. Several of my best selections were showcased. In the end we didn't quite reach the three mile average, but we got in a few staircases instead. I saw a couple of my past colleagues and was happy to know I could keep heading for the exit when we were done. It's nice to have this option in the heat - another reason my husband will probably never leave this town. 

The Early Americas at the Library of Congress

We all read about it in grade school and high school and beyond. But it's not until you actually see artifacts and maps and personal stories does the history come alive. We pass through the Early America's exhibit at the Library of Congress whenever we attend a presentation in the Middle Eastern/African Division. But we have not spent a lot of time actually looking at the articles that are on display. So I took a walk over one afternoon and explored the  place in the beautiful Jefferson Building. One of the key features is a map that is one of the first - if not the first - to label America as a separate continent. It's so tiny compared to the rest of the world all those centuries ago. The names of Cortez and Aztecs all sound familiar, but I needed to read again about the significance of it all. I never take for granted where we live and what is available to us here in Washington. Most of the folks I pass by come from somewhere else and are visiting here to see history and culture showcased in a beautiful backdrop. I always look forward to my afternoon walks. This one was so very enlightening. 

Books That Shaped America

In The Library of Congress Jefferson Building is a new exhibit called Books That Shaped America. Over the lunch hour we quickly walked through it following a presentation we saw in the Middle Eastern Section. There are original copies of several favorites, including Gone With The Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird. It is my understanding that the public has an opportunity to voice their opinion and vote for the books they feel had the most impact on them personally or collectively. If you have a chance to see the exhibit, you won't be disappointed. Every time I walk through this magnificent building, it is hard to believe that we can visit it just about any time. As you can imagine, the exhibits are always changing and the subject matter appeals to a lot of folks. I never had this kind of opportunity in previous work places. I can't imagine a lot of others who do.