Hutchinson Public Library Adult Program Coordinator Katie Broker poses alongside a poster promoting the Treasures of the Library of Congress scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18 CREDIT RICHARD SHANK
By Richard Shank
Two Library of Congress Education Specialists will be at the Hutchinson Public Library February 18 to launch “Treasures of the Library of Congress,” a day-long series of workshops on everything from historical newspapers, genealogical resources, and the Veterans History Project.
Katie Broker, Adult Program Coordinator for the Hutchinson Public Library, said Hutchinson is the first city in the state to participate in the national program.
“We are very honored to be Kansas’ first city in a collaborative effort with the Library of Congress,” Broker said. “Plans were put into motion following a call this past summer from the Library of Congress.”
“Collaboratives such as this allow the Hutchinson Public Library to fulfill our mission to inspire learning, cultivate growth, and strengthen our community,” Broker continued. “A part of our mission is to coordinate programs that patrons want to participate in, from arts to natural history. This program from the Library of Congress fits perfectly with what we are doing.”
Treasurers of the Library of Congress kicks off at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday with a presentation on Historical Newspapers, followed one hour later with a workshop entitled “Genealogy Resources available from the Library of Congress.”
A 12:30 p.m. session deals with The Veterans History Project. A meeting at 1:30 is entitled “By the People Crowdsourcing at the Library of Congress. At 2:30, a discussion about the Kansas Talking Book Program and the Kansas Center for the Book will be the topic. A second workshop on Genealogy Resources is slated for 3:30, followed by a session entitled “Creative Works from the New Deal,” beginning at 4:30.
The final two sessions, slated for 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively, deal with Transportation Resources and Historical Newspapers.
All sessions are held on the second floor of the Hutchinson Public Library in Meeting Room 1 and are free to attend. No reservations are required.
Following the sessions in Hutchinson, the Education Specialists will be on the road with a similar series of workshops scheduled for February 22 at the El Quartelejo Museum in Scott City before a session slated for April 5 at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence. The Library of Congress Kansas workshops conclude April 8 at the Girard Public Library.
Library of Congress Librarian Carla Hayden dubs the organization she leads “a library for all.”
“Holding more than 178 million items in its collections, the library offers perhaps the most comprehensive collection of human knowledge ever assembled in one place,” Hayden said. “This important learning initiative showcases the ways people can experience the depth and breadth of what the library collects, preserves, and makes available, all from their own communities.”
The history of the Library of Congress is storied. In 1800, President John Adams signed legislation establishing the Library of Congress, and soon, 3,000 books were on the shelves in a Washington, D.C. building. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the British invaded Washington, D.C. and burned the library and its contents. The naysayers said they could never duplicate what they had, but a former president soon came to the rescue.
Former President Thomas Jefferson, who was in dire financial straits, offered to sell his personal library to restart the Library of Congress, which included 6,487 books, an offer the government could not refuse. Many of Jefferson’s books were destroyed in an 1851 fire at the Library of Congress but those that survived are on permanent display today.
Hutchinson opened its first library in 1901 at Fifth and Main Street through a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, 29 years following the founding of the city. In 1951, the library was moved to its current location at 901 North Main Street. The structure has undergone several expansions during the past 74 years.
2026 will mark the 125 th anniversary of the opening of Hutchinson’s first public library.
Goldi / February 13, 2025
What a great event and opportunity this is for our community! Most people know that the Library of Congress exists, but I would guess that many of us don’t really know how to take advantage of this resource. It’s a great example of an event that enriches our community – and at no cost to those who want to participate. Thanks for covering this!
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