Past Events

Join Ellen Alers, Reference Team Leader, Tammy Peters, Chief Archivist, and Jennifer Wright, Archives and Information Management Team Leader, as they share about what can be found in our archival collections, how we collect these materials, and how people all over the world can access these records for all kinds of purposes.

Join New York Times bestselling author and Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board emeritus member Steve Berry and his wife Elizabeth Berry to hear how Steve wove the Smithsonian Castle, the Smithsonian Libraries, and the rich history of this storied institution into The Lost Order.

Join Shauna Collier, Head Librarian and curator, and Brandee Worsham, Reference Librarian, both of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Library, as they talk about the Library, its exhibitions, and the fascinating stories behind them.

Join us as librarians from some of our history and culture branches--Elayne Silversmith and Baasil Wilder--share how they support the mission and work of the museums that they’re embedded in and answer your questions.

Join us as librarians from some of our science branches, Ricardo Beteta Bond, Stephen Cox, Bonnie Felts, and Carrie Smith, share insight into how they support scientific research, especially during this pandemic, and answer your questions.

Join Jennifer Cohlman Bracchi, Acting Head Librarian at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Library, and Susan Brown, Associate Curator and Acting Head of Textiles at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, as they talk about their co-curated exhibition Saturated: The Allure and Science of Color.

Join us as librarians from some of our art branches, Anne Evenhaugen, Kathryn Phillips, and Jacqueline Protka, share insight into how they support research and education, especially during this pandemic, and answer your questions.

Come along with Allie Alvis, our Special Collections Reference Librarian, and Dr. Kali Holder, a veterinary pathologist at the National Zoo, as they explore marginal monsters in one of our rare books.

This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date. As a public health precaution, the Smithsonian is postponing or canceling all public events through May 3. See si.edu/events for details. Museums and the National Zoo remain open at this time. We are monitoring the guidance of the CDC and local public health officials. Help improve information in Wikipedia about endangered species as part of the Earth Optimism Wikipedia Workshop on Endangered Species hosted by the Smithsonian Libraries (Washington, D.C.) with support from Wikimedia DC.

Please note that the March 13th and March 20th events scheduled to be held at Smithsonian museums have been canceled. See the event series page for details about other events. The year 2020 marks a turning point in history for American women, and to celebrate the anniversary of the 19th Amendment, Washington D.C. cultural organizations have joined together to host a series of Wikipedia edit-a-thons during Women's History month. This coordinated series of events is in conjunction with the Art+Feminism campaign to address gender gaps in content and participation on the encyclopedia, especially related to art and artists.

Join Lilla Vekerdy, Head of Special Collections, and Morgan Aronson for a discussion of their book Abecedarium: An Adult Coloring Book for Bibliophiles, followed by book signing.

Music and the Making of Modern Science and Medicine Monday, December 2nd, 2019. 5:00 PMS. Dillon Ripley Center Ripley Auditorium

In honor or our exhibition, Game Change: Elephants from Prey to Preservation, and the National Museum of American History's new exhibition, Elephants and Us: Considering Extinction, please join us for a special film screening followed by a question and answer session.

Join us for a performance of music hidden in plain sight. Musical manuscripts, re-purposed centuries ago as book bindings, will transport us back in time during this evening event devoted to their musicality.

The Smithsonian Libraries invites you to the secondin a series of talks related to our newest exhibition, Magnificent Obsessions: Why We Collect: Beyond Brontë: The Essential Act of Collecting Books by Women featuring A.N. Devers Proprietor, The Second Shelf