The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the de facto national library of the United States. Founded in 1800, it is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country.  The library is housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.; it also maintains a conservation center in Culpeper, Virginia.  The library's functions are overseen by the Librarian of Congress, and its buildings are maintained by the Architect of the Capitol.  The Library of Congress is one of the largest libraries in the world.  Its "collections are universal, not limited by subject, format, or national boundary, and include research materials from all parts of the world and in more than 470 languages."  Congress moved to Washington, D.C., in 1800 after holding sessions for eleven years in the temporary national capitals in New York City and Philadelphia.  In both cities, members of the U.S. Congress had access to the sizable collections of the New York Society Library and the Library Company of Philadelphia.  The small Congressional Library was housed in the United States Capitol for most of the 19th century until the early 1890s.  Most of the original collection was burnt by British forces during the War of 1812.  The library began to restore its collection in 1815.  The library purchased Thomas Jefferson's entire personal collection of 6,487 books.  Its collection slowly expanded in the following years, although it suffered another fire in its Capitol chambers in 1851.  This destroyed a large amount of the collection, including many of Jefferson's books.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress  

When Joni Mitchell finally took the stage near the end of an all-star tribute concert honoring her as 2023’s year’s recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, she opted to perform a cover rather than one of her own songs.  The 79-year-old music legend leaned against the piano Mar. 1, 2023 as she crooned a sultry version of “Summertime,” the popular tune from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” an appropriate choice since the award was named after the composer.  The Gershwin Prize, created in 2007, has previously honored Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Carole King.  “Joni Mitchell: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song” will be broadcast March 31 on PBS stations, PBS.org, the PBS App and the American Forces Network.   John Carucci  https://apnews.com/article/joni-mitchell-gershwin-prize-81b868b315cf383f60f676968f00e6a9  

In the days before computers, small, local newspapers around the U.S. relied heavily on feature stories, editorials, and other printed material supplied by large publishing syndicates.  The syndicates delivered that copy on metal plates with the type already in place so the local papers wouldn't have to set it.  Printers apparently dubbed those syndicated plates "boiler plates" because of their resemblance to the plating used in making steam boilers.  Soon boilerplate came to refer to the printed material on the plates as well as to the plates themselves.  Because boilerplate stories were more often filler than hard news, the word acquired negative connotations and gained another sense widely used today, such as "hackneyed or unoriginal writing."  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boilerplate  

The Woman Suffrage Procession on 3 March 1913 was the first suffragist parade in Washington, D.C.  It was also the first large, organized march on Washington for political purposes.  The procession was organized by the suffragists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns for the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).  The parade's purpose, stated in its official program, was to "march in a spirit of protest against the present political organization of society, from which women are excluded."  Participation numbers vary between 5,000 and 10,000 marchers.  Suffragists and supporters marched down Pennsylvania Avenue on Monday, March 3, 1913, the day before President Woodrow Wilson's inauguration.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_Suffrage_Procession  

When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. - Alexander Graham Bell, inventor (3 Mar 1847-1922)  

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2639  March 3, 2023