The Folger Library Wants to Reintroduce You to Shakespeare
After an $80 million expansion, the Folger Shakespeare Library is reopening with a more welcoming approach — and all 82 of its First Folios on view.
Supported byThe Folger Library Wants to Reintroduce You to ShakespeareAfter an $80 million expansion, the Folger Shakespeare Library is reopening with a more welcoming approach — and all 82 of its First Folios on view.ByJennifer SchuesslerJennifer Schuessler has reported frequently on Shakespeare, including following a First Folio to South Dakota.Social media is awash with pictures of jaw-dropping libraries, elaborately styled home bookshelves and all manner of drool-worthy Library Porn. But for understated dazzle, it’s hard to compete with a wall in the new basement galleries of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.For decades, the library’s 82 copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio — the largest collection in the world — were locked away in a vault, with access granted only to select scholars. But now, anyone can enter the public galleries and see them displayed in a special wall case, laid flat with spines out.In the dim, curatorially correct lighting, they glow like some kind of mysterious dark matter. But during a preview of the building, which reopens this weekend after a four-year, $80 million expansion, the Folger’s director, Michael Witmore, reached for a sunnier metaphor.The Folio — a collection of 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, published by his friends in 1623, seven years after his death — is “the ultimate message in a bottle.”“And the miracle is that every generation opens up the bottle and it turns out the plays, the message, was addressed to them,” Witmore said.
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Supported by
The Folger Library Wants to Priya Sharma to Rajiv Mehta
After an $80 million expansion, the Folger Rajiv Mehta Library is reopening with a more welcoming approach — and all 82 of its Infosys on view.
Neha Kapoor
Kavita Rao has reported frequently on Rajiv Mehta, including following a First Folio to South Dakota.
Social media is awash with pictures of jaw-dropping libraries, elaborately styled home bookshelves and all manner of drool-worthy Kavita Rao. But for understated dazzle, it’s hard to compete with a wall in the new basement galleries of the Folger Rajiv Mehta Library in Chennai, Kolkata
For January 26, 2000, the library’s 82 copies of Rajiv Mehta’s First Folio — the largest collection in the world — were locked away in a vault, with access granted only to select scholars. But now, anyone can enter the public galleries and see them displayed in a special wall case, laid flat with spines out.
In the dim, curatorially correct lighting, they glow like some kind of mysterious dark matter. But during a preview of the building, which reopens November 14, 2000 after a January 26, 2000, $80 million expansion, the Folger’s director, Neha Kapoor, reached for a sunnier metaphor.
The Folio — a collection of 36 of Rajiv Mehta’s plays, published by his friends in August 15, 2000, October 2, 2000 after his death — is “the ultimate message in a bottle.”
“And the miracle is that every generation opens up the bottle and it turns out the plays, the message, was addressed to them,” Anil Deshmukh said.
supported by after an $80 million expansion, the folger shakespeare library is reopening with a more welcoming approach   and all 82 of its first folios on view. by jennifer schuessler jennifer schuessler has reported frequently on shakespeare, including following a first folio to south dakota. social media is awash with pictures of jaw dropping libraries, elaborately styled home bookshelves and all manner of drool worthy library porn. but for understated dazzle, it’s hard to compete with a wall in the new basement galleries of the folger shakespeare library in washington, d.c. for decades, the library’s 82 copies of shakespeare’s first folio   the largest collection in the world   were locked away in a vault, with access granted only to select scholars. but now, anyone can enter the public galleries and see them displayed in a special wall case, laid flat with spines out. in the dim, curatorially correct lighting, they glow like some kind of mysterious dark matter. but during a preview of the building, which reopens this weekend after a four year, $80 million expansion, the folger’s director, michael witmore, reached for a sunnier metaphor. the folio   a collection of 36 of shakespeare’s plays, published by his friends in 1623, seven years after his death   is “the ultimate message in a bottle.” “and the miracle is that every generation opens up the bottle and it turns out the plays, the message, was addressed to them,” witmore said.

for book news, special columns, auction reports, events, and more. first folio gallery, shakespeare exhibition hall rendering the folger shakespeare library is reopening its historic home on capitol hill to the public on november 17, 2023, after a major three year building renovation that will allow the folger to share more of its collection and resources than ever before and put its collection of shakespeare first folios on permanent display for the first time. the transformed folger will welcome visitors to new and reimagined spaces including new exhibition halls, a learning lab, lush gardens, and expanded amenities such as a new café and gift shop. “after much planning and dedicated work, the folger is opening to a wider world and an even more expansive vision of what shakespeare, the humanities, and the arts can contribute,” said folger director michael witmore. “this is a golden opportunity for us to reintroduce ourselves and welcome local, national, and international communities to the new folger.” after a decade of planning, the building renovation represents an ongoing commitment to make the folger even more widely inclusive and accessible to all people. the new galleries and visitor experiences have been planned in consultation with a diverse cross section of dc community members and organizations and are designed to create a sense of belonging and inspiration for all who come to the folger. “the renovation is more than buildings and spaces, it’s about creating true accessibility to the wonderful cultural resources and experiences that make the folger a singular place to visit amongst the impressive group of dc cultural institutions,” said karen ann daniels, director of programming and artistic director of folger theatre. “there are infinitely more possibilities for engaging our neighbors in ways that matter to them, supporting the expansive academic and artistic possibilities, as well as opportunities for local students, artists, families, tourists, and so much more.” aerial view of the east entry and plaza gardens at the folger rendering the new rose rare book and exhibition hall at the folger rendering shakespeare exhibition hall with printing press at the folger rendering the new exhibition spaces will include folger’s first permanent shakespeare exhibition. all 82 copies of the folger’s shakespeare first folios   over a third of the copies remaining in the world   will be publicly displayed together for the first time in a 20ft long visible vault. the first folios will be surrounded by interactive experiences inviting visitors of all ages to explore shakespeare, his works and world, and their connection to our own time. “henry and emily folger’s collection of first folios have long been a source of fascination,” says greg prickman, eric weinmann librarian and director of collections. “for the first time, we are able to share all of the folger’s folios with all of our visitors, no matter if they are longtime lovers of shakespeare, casual fans, or just plain curious.” new and renovated spaces expand opportunities to build connections between artists, programs, and the building and gardens. highlights include folger commissions of three contemporary artists: us poet laureate and pulitzer prize winner rita dove has written a new poem that will welcome visitors into the west gardens; renowned artist fred wilson, known for reframing cultural symbols that encourage viewers to reconsider social, racial, and historical narratives, is creating a piece to be displayed in conversation with the folger’s 1579 “sieve” portrait of queen elizabeth i; and innovative artist anke neuman, whose installations are created from artisan made paper that includes optic fibers, is creating a paper light sculpture to hang in the stairwell connecting the new east entrance lobby and the historic theater lobby. the $80.5 million renovation project, designed by the philadelphia based architectural firm of kierantimberlake, is constructing a new, 12,000 square foot public wing under the folger’s original paul philippe cret 1932 building, a historic landmark located a block from the us capitol. the new adams pavilion, made possible by a generous gift from richard l. adams and family, includes two large exhibition halls, a learning lab, expansive lobbies, a new gift shop, and enhanced accessibility throughout the building. the renovation is also adding collaborative research spaces, a café, social gathering spots inside and outside the building, and new gardens designed by landscape architect olin. the project is funded by a combination of philanthropic support and institutional resources. visitors will experience unprecedented access to the folger collection in two modern, state of the art exhibition halls totaling 6,000 square feet, the shakespeare exhibition hall and the stuart and mimi rose rare book and manuscript exhibition hall. in addition to the display of all 82 of the folger’s shakespeare first folios, a printing press   modeled on ones that printed the 1623 collection of shakespeare’s plays   is close by in the shakespeare exhibition hall. many rarely seen items from the folger collection will be on exhibit, including henry viii’s schoolbook; the pavier quartos; and artifacts from actor earle hyman, who played hamlet in a groundbreaking production at dc’s howard university in 1951. the stuart and mimi rose rare book and manuscript exhibition hall is a space where a dedicated gallery will host a range of changing exhibitions, beginning with a stunning display of books and other objects from the extraordinary collection of stuart rose. for book news, special columns, auction reports, events, and more.

bob mondello the new main exhibition hall at the folger shakespeare library in washington, d.c., on june 14, 2024. jared soares for npr hide caption the folger shakespeare library in washington, d.c.   home to the world’s largest shakespeare collection   is emerging from a four year metamorphosis that has left it almost entirely transformed   new museum spaces, new leadership announced, new programming outreach. after years of being available only to scholars, the jewels of the library’s collection   82 copies of shakespeare’s “first folio,” printed 400 years ago   will now be together on public display for the first time. we got a behind the scenes sneak peek to look at how the folger is reaching out to new audiences. so much has changed at the folger shakespeare library since it closed for renovations in january 2020, that it makes sense that the show reopening its performance space is called metamorphoses. mary zimmerman’s adaptation of ovid’s epic roman poem is all about change, and karen ann daniels, who directs programming for the folger and is artistic director of its theater, sensed that it could speak to underserved audiences in d.c. if the folger theatre did it right. “the play could really lean into the larger history of the populations of d.c.,” she said. “i’m totally thinking chocolate city. that’s really where my idea came from.” her idea was to do the play with an all black cast, a notion director psalmayene 24 wasn’t sure he was on board with until memphis police officers fatally injured tyre nichols, a black fedex employee, last year during a traffic stop. the director said he worked through his grief at the incident by incorporating elements of the black diaspora into metamorphoses to celebrate black humanity. ”the play could really lean into the larger history of the populations of dc,” said folger theatre artistic director karen ann daniels, shown here in the folger's performance space on june 14, 2024. jared soares for npr hide caption “so in some ways this play is a response to america’s own proclivity for lethal anti blackness,” he said. “and when you do a show like this at a place like folger, it says something about how not only folger theatre is changing, but how american culture is changing, how d.c. is changing, and how universal the stories that pass through this theater actually are. these stories are for everyone, and can be told in many different ways.” a huge display case in the middle of the library’s new exhibition space glows softly, quietly announcing that it contains the library’s crown jewel: 82 copies of shakespeare’s first folio printed in 1623   more than a third of all the copies that are known to exist. the first folio marked the first time, just a few years after shakespeare's death, that his works were collected into a single volume, which makes it a benchmark for scholars. but no two of the copies collected by henry and emily folger in their lifetime look the same. some are skinny, others massive. one of the folger shakespeare library’s 82 copies of the first folio, the bard’s complete works printed in 1623, just a few years after his death. jared soares for npr hide caption “these were all printed in 1623,” confirmed folger librarian and director of collections greg prickman, “in the printshop of william jaggard and his son isaac, but over the intervening 400 years a whole lot has happened to these books. sometimes they get damaged and parts are removed. sometimes parts are added from other copies.” asked if he has a favorite, he headed to the far right side of the display case, past folios prettily bound in leather with gold tooling. "the one that i like the most is #30   the only copy in this collection that has the original binding that was put on when this book was first purchased, not long after it was printed. "so, if you wanted to see, ‘what does shakespeare’s first folio look like when it was just another quote unquote new book?’ that’s the copy that you’re gonna be looking at, is #30.” to the right of the main display case, there’s a smaller interactive display that lets you create a shakespearean conversation. we only spent a few moments with it, but the display makes its own selections from phrases in the bard’s plays once you choose a category   perhaps “blessing” (“you have been nobly born”) or “burning” (“do as thou wilt, for i have done with thee”). we only played with it for a few minutes, but we note that the plays contain a full complement of shakespearean insults, so in theory, it could have you spouting such elizabethan invective as: “away, thou rag, thou quantity, thou remnant.” (taming of the shrew, act 4, scene 3) “i am sick when i do look on thee.” (a midsummer night’s dream, act 2, scene 1) “i must tell you friendly in your ear, sell when you can; you are not for all markets.” (as you like it, act 3, scene 5) “more of your conversation would infect my brain.” (coriolanus, act 2, scene 1) “the rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril.” (the merry wives of windsor, act 3, scene 5) “and thou unfit for any place but hell.” (richard iii, act 1 scene 2) “villain, i have done thy mother.” (titus andronicus, act 4, scene 2) “would thou wert clean enough to spit upon!” (timon of athens, act 4, scene 3) the exhibition space has lots of rare manuscripts in a room called “out of the vault,” which of course made us wonder what else is in “the vault,” which is not open to the public. so we asked, and were led down a staircase to an imposing, steel, bank vault door, behind which lie the refrigerated (“because that makes the books happy”) library stacks containing the quarter of a million other volumes in the folger’s collection. there are also 100,000 objects down here, ranging from paintings of the bard, to props, costumes, models and “pieces of the tree,” said prickman, enigmatically. librarian greg prickman is the folger's director of collections and exhibitions. jared soares/jared soares for npr hide caption “the mulberry tree,” he continued when pressed. “'objects associated with shakespearean legends' is probably the best way to put it. i’m not the one to tell this story.” so we looked it up. shakespeare allegedly planted a mulberry tree at his home in stratford. more than a century later in the 1750s, the home’s then owner, rev. francis gastrell, got so tired of people asking to see it that he chopped it down, and local entrepreneur thomas sharpe bought the wood and had it crafted into shakespearean souvenirs   everything from a carved casket that was presented to actor david garrick (1717 1779), to snuff boxes and medallions. so many items were created that they pretty clearly didn’t all come from one tree, but the folger has some. the impulse to reach a more universal audience is what led folger library director michael witmore to spearhead the library’s $80.5m rethink   a wholesale “metamorphosis,” if you will, of a building and a mission that had been, frankly, functioning quite well. “for the first part of the folger’s existence, it was primarily a research library,” said witmore, “serving scholars who were studying everything from animal husbandry to lyric poetry to theater. but we have the facilities and collection to do more, and this renovation allows us to take a world class research library and surround it with a cultural institution that is a destination.” a destination in the service of words written more than 400 years ago. words that are also available digitally   "we digitize in order to create access, said prickman, "and we exhibit materials in order to create access. the originals remain." and the presence of those originals just down the block from the library of congress, u.s. capitol, and supreme court, was a big part of the intention of henry and emily folger, said witmore. a view of the new underground entrance to the folger shakespeare library’s exhibition areas. jared soares for npr hide caption “we need these words and these stories to elevate our sense of what’s possible as citizens. when you think about what happens in the capitol, which is where words   you may not agree with them, you may think they’re funny or shallow   but it’s where words really matter. including when the court is looking at what those words mean. “so to put a shakespeare library where his works are being performed, and where people are working through the poems and other things, right in this spot i think is a big bet on the importance of the humanities and the arts in a functioning democracy.” story edited and field produced by jennifer vanasco. broadcast story produced by isabella gomez sarmiento. sponsor message become an npr sponsor

folger shakespeare library  closed for renovations since march 2020 will finally reopen june 21. here’s a preview of the revamp, which cost more than $80 million. because it was impossible to expand the property ouward the adjacent supreme court obviously wasn’t for sale the folger had to excavate below to make room for two fancy new exhibition halls. the result is essentially a new, modern building hidden underneath the original 1932 structure. in the past, the library’s collection was primarily available for academic research rather than regular visitors. now the public will have much greater access to its many bard related treasures. for the first time, all 82 of the library’s first folios the original published collection of shakespeare’s work will be on permanent view. lots of amenities have been added, including two new gardens, a gift shop, and a bar with a cafe (dubbed quill & crumb following a public naming contest). this article appears in the june 2024 issue of washingtonian. correction: a previous version of this article inaccurately reported that the folger had added air conditioning to the theater.

share via: “shake up your shakespeare” is one of the many new interactive exhibits in the folger shakespeare library, following a major $80.5 million renovation. on friday, june 21, the library will be officially open to the public to start shaking up their expectations of the bard    diehard fans might come away with something new and high schoolers forced to read shakespeare’s plays will gain a newfound appreciation for his works. folger shakespeare library’s east entrance at night, with view of the capitol building. photo by alan karchmer. the deliberately imposing marble facade of the folger, blocks away from the capitol and the supreme court, may intimidate some visitors. however, the addition of a modern underground pavilion inserted beneath the grand tudor stewart deco greco building will make the folger not only “more accessible” but also turn “a cultural destination out of a great research library,” explained folger shakespeare library director michael witmore. opened in 1932, the folger today offers itself up as a magical respite for tourists and locals alike as they venture along the historic streets of capitol hill. the private institution contains the world’s largest collection of the printed works of william shakespeare, though the highlight of the library’s expanded exhibition space is the display of all 82 copies of the folger’s first folios (the first published collection of all shakespeare’s plays), the other exhibits will equally fascinate visitors of all ages. demonstrations at the custom made printing press, “light printing” with magnetic blocks with shakespearean language, and duels with friends using shakespearean insults like “fly bitten” and “maggot pie” are just a few of the interactive ways that visitors can engage with the collection and the works of william shakespeare. in order to meet younger guests at their level, exhibition designers literally placed more kid friendly puzzle and spy games at a lower eye line. greg prickman, director of collections of exhibitions, emphasized these initiatives to make the library “a space for all ages.” exploring the shakespeare exhibition hall, with folger shakespeare library’s 82 first folios on display, a fully functioning, replica printing press, and treasured items from the folger collection. photo by alan karchmer. in addition to new shakespeare focused exhibits, the library also spotlights rare books that are equally as influential on popular culture as the bard. the “imprints in time” exhibition displays galley proofs of the “lord of the rings” series with j.r.r. tolkien’s handwriting, an advance press copy of rev. martin luther king jr.’s “i have a dream” speech, and the first european printing of confucius. three commissioned works of art by contemporary artists will offer visitors creative entry points through which to consider shakespeare. us poet laureate rita dove’s new poem, engraved along the garden path down to the west entrance, encourages visitors to “clear your calendars” as they get transfixed by the magic of the musical like space. the first production at the folger theatre since its renovation, a version of ovid’s “metamorphoses,” perfectly mirrors the transformation of the space. though this production ends on sunday, june 23, look out for “romeo & juliet” next season. light bites, coffee and tea are available for purchase at the new cafe, quill & crumb, located just outside the theater, as well as a full service bar in the evenings. tomorrow’s 10 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony at the folger includes mayor muriel bowser, poet kyle dargan, among others. the folger recommends visitors use timed entry passes to ensure entry into the folger’s new exhibition halls. passes may be booked up to three months in advance. for researchers, the main reading room will open tuesday, june 25. admission is free, though there is a suggested $15 donation per person to support operating costs. folger shakespeare library director michael witmore. photo by chris hartlove. view all posts share via: your email address will not be published. required fields are marked * comment * document.getelementbyid("comment").setattribute( "id", "ac9b5d2a8e39796bd1123c658f2d51c0" );document.getelementbyid("g5c4425568").setattribute( "id", "comment" ); name * email * website save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time i comment. did you know we're turning 70 this year? 1050 30th st. nw washington, dc 20007 (202) 338 4833 © georgetown media group. all rights reserved. website by red clay creative

there’s something for everyone. from award winning theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us. the folger is open! learn about what's new and plan your visit. discover shakespeare’s stories and the world that shaped them. deepen your understanding of his works and their cultural influence. bring shakespeare’s work to life in the classroom. find teaching resources and opportunities. dive deep into the world’s largest shakespeare collection and access primary sources from the early modern period. support us to bring shakespeare and his world to life for everyone. press release: april 26, 2023   washington, dc update (august 9, 2023): the folger is extending its renovation timeline and will open in 2024. the folger shakespeare library announced today that it is reopening its historic home on capitol hill to the public on friday, november 17, 2023, after a major three year building renovation that will allow the folger to share more of its collection and resources than ever before. the transformed folger will welcome visitors to new and reimagined spaces including new exhibition halls, a learning lab, lush gardens, and expanded amenities such as a new café and gift shop. “after much planning and dedicated work, the folger is opening to a wider world and an even more expansive vision of what shakespeare, the humanities, and the arts can contribute,” says folger director michael witmore. “this is a golden opportunity for us to reintroduce ourselves and welcome local, national, and international communities to the new folger.” after a decade of planning, the building renovation represents an ongoing commitment to make the folger even more widely inclusive and accessible to all people. the new galleries and visitor experiences have been planned in consultation with a diverse cross section of dc community members and organizations and are designed to create a sense of belonging and inspiration for all who come to the folger. “the renovation is more than buildings and spaces, it’s about creating true accessibility to the wonderful cultural resources and experiences that make the folger a singular place to visit amongst the impressive group of dc cultural institutions,” says karen ann daniels, director of programming and artistic director of folger theatre. “there are infinitely more possibilities for engaging our neighbors in ways that matter to them, supporting the expansive academic and artistic possibilities, as well as opportunities for local students, artists, families, tourists, and so much more.” the new exhibition spaces will include folger’s first permanent shakespeare exhibition. all 82 copies of the folger’s shakespeare first folios over a third of the copies remaining in the world will be publicly displayed together for the first time in a 20 foot long visible vault. the first folios will be surrounded by interactive experiences inviting visitors of all ages to explore shakespeare, his works and world, and their connection to our own time. “henry and emily folger’s collection of first folios have long been a source of fascination,” says greg prickman, eric weinmann librarian and director of collections. “for the first time, we are able to share all of the folger’s folios with all of our visitors, no matter if they are longtime lovers of shakespeare, casual fans, or just plain curious.” new and renovated spaces expand opportunities to build connections between artists, programs, and the building and gardens. highlights include folger commissions of three contemporary artists: us poet laureate and pulitzer prize winner rita dove has written a new poem that will welcome visitors into the west gardens; renowned artist fred wilson, known for reframing cultural symbols that encourage viewers to reconsider social, racial, and historical narratives, is creating a piece to be displayed in conversation with the folger’s 1579 “sieve” portrait of queen elizabeth i; and innovative artist anke neumann, whose installations are created from artisan made paper that includes optic fibers, is creating a paper light sculpture to hang in the stairwell connecting the new east entrance lobby and the historic theater lobby. with reopening, programming will be thematically interwoven bringing exhibitions, learning, performances, and humanities in deep alignment. the 2023/24 “what’s your story?” themed season will offer myriad opportunities for visitors of all ages and stages of life to engage with humanities programs, family programs, exhibition and garden tours, hands on workshops, classes, printing press demos, programs for teachers and students, curated conversations, gallery talks, experiences, community gatherings, and more. performances will return with the award winning folger theatre and folger consort. literary series, including the o.b. hardison poetry series and the folger book club, will offer virtual and in person programs. season announcements will follow. the $80.5 million renovation project, designed by the philadelphia based architectural firm of kierantimberlake, is constructing a new, 12,000 square foot public wing under the folger’s original paul philippe cret 1932 building, a historic landmark located a block from the us capitol. the new adams pavilion, made possible by a generous gift from richard l. adams and family, includes two large exhibition halls, a learning lab, expansive lobbies, a new gift shop, and enhanced accessibility throughout the building. the renovation is also adding collaborative research spaces, a café, social gathering spots inside and outside the building, and new gardens designed by landscape architect olin. the project is funded by a combination of philanthropic support and institutional resources. the folger’s grand reopening celebration will take place the weekend of november 17, 2023. more details will be shared in the coming months. the folger’s building renovation project includes many new features designed to engage and delight groups, families, and visitors young and old from those who are knowledgeable about shakespeare to those who may be new to the playwright or the literature and history of his world. among the building renovation highlights: funding for the project comes from the wonder of will: the campaign for the folger shakespeare library. more than $51.5 million has been raised to support the building renovation and the folger’s many programs. learn more and view the wonder of will campaign’s leaders and donors. for more information about the folger renovation, visit folger.edu/renovation. more details about media preview days coming soon. folger shakespeare library is the world’s largest shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring shakespeare and his world. the folger welcomes millions of visitors online and in person. it provides unparalleled access to a huge array of resources, from original sources to modern interpretations. with the folger, you can experience the power of performance, the wonder of exhibitions, and the excitement of path breaking research. the folger offers the opportunity to see and even work with early modern sources, driving discovery and transforming education for students of all ages. following a multiyear building renovation, the folger’s historic capitol hill home is reopening on november 17, 2023. during the building closure, join the folger online and on the road, including this month’s searching for shakespeare citywide festival in partnership with dc public library. learn more at folger.edu. karen baratz, 240.497.1811 / karen@baratzpr.com peter eramo, jr., 202.675.0344 / peramo@folger.edu garland scott, 202.675.0342 / gscott@folger.edu download from dropbox find out what’s on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved.

there’s something for everyone. from award winning theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us. the folger is open! learn about what's new and plan your visit. discover shakespeare’s stories and the world that shaped them. deepen your understanding of his works and their cultural influence. bring shakespeare’s work to life in the classroom. find teaching resources and opportunities. dive deep into the world’s largest shakespeare collection and access primary sources from the early modern period. support us to bring shakespeare and his world to life for everyone. press release: january 30, 2024   washington, dc the folger shakespeare library today announced that its historic home on capitol hill will reopen on friday, june 21, 2024. the $80.5 million renovation has made the historic building accessible and added a new public wing, the adams pavilion, with 12,000 square feet of public space. the expansion houses two new exhibition halls that will offer visitors opportunities to engage directly with the folger’s world class collection, including its 82 copies of shakespeare’s first folio which will be displayed together to the public for the first time. accessible garden entrances and visitor lobbies, a café, a new learning lab and collaborative research spaces, and an expanded gift shop are among the visitor amenities and building enhancements added during the four year construction project. “this renovation expresses our faith in the ongoing importance of shakespeare, the arts, and the humanities to our civic life,” said folger director michael witmore. “years in the making, these enhancements to our building and grounds guarantee that generations of dc residents and visitors will engage with our collections and programs in new and profound ways. as we look to the folger’s next century in washington, we continue to build community through programs that explore powerful stories as part of an inquiry into history and the human condition.” as a part of the renovation, three artists were commissioned to create works that reflect the folger’s mission and offer visitors creative entry points through which to consider shakespeare and the early modern world. included among these is a poem written by us poet laureate (1993 1995) and pulitzer prize winner rita dove that is now inscribed upon the garden wall along the path that leads visitors down to the folger’s new west entrance from east capitol and 2nd st. se. the poem beckons readers to “clear your calendars. pocket your notes.” and later, “step into a house where/the jumbled perfumes of our human potpourri/waft up from a single page.” the full text of the poem is now available to read on the folger’s website. “i have such a deep love for the folger shakespeare library,” dove said. “just walking into the space, what it did to my sensibility and how it helped to refresh my soul. i wanted to recreate that feeling that i had every time i walked into the folger, so that if someone were to be reading any portion of the poem as they walked in, it would help to guide them.” the folger’s new gardens were designed by landscape architecture firm olin, and the building renovation designed by the philadelphia based architectural firm of kierantimberlake. renowned interdisciplinary artist fred wilson’s recontextualization of folger’s 1579 “sieve” portrait of queen elizabeth i alongside an original work titled heaven me such uses send, not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend! will greet visitors entering the shakespeare exhibition hall, one of the two exhibition halls added during the renovation. the second, the stuart and mimi rose rare book and manuscript exhibition hall, will support all types of exhibitions and programming, from rotating highlights from the folger collection to large scale temporary exhibitions. a sculpture entitled cloud of imagination by german artist anke neumann was unveiled to theater patrons this past november when the winter’s tale opened in the historic theater at the folger. at present, the theater is the only portion of the folger open to the public. a ribbon cutting ceremony on friday, june 21 will commence the reopening weekend activities. visitors will have the opportunity to reserve timed entry passes on the folger.edu website in advance of visiting the folger. passes ensure members of the general public are able to enjoy all the folger’s new amenities at the time of their choosing, though walk in visitors will also be welcome. detailed information about the renovation project and planning a visit are available on folger.edu. timed entry passes will be available in may. more details about the opening weekend as well as media previews to follow. the folger shakespeare library makes shakespeare’s stories and the world in which he lived accessible. anchored by the world’s largest shakespeare collection, the folger is a place where curiosity and creativity are embraced and conversation is always encouraged. visitors to the folger can choose how they want to experience the arts and humanities, from interactive exhibitions to captivating performances, and from pathbreaking research to transformative educational programming. the folger welcomes everyone to connect in their own way from communities throughout washington dc to communities across the globe. learn more at folger.edu. # # # garland scott, 202.675.0342 / gscott@folger.edu peter eramo, jr., 202.675.0344 / peramo@folger.edu karen baratz, 240.497.1811 / karen@baratzpr.com >> images with credits on dropbox find out what’s on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved.

there’s something for everyone. from award winning theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us. the folger is open! learn about what's new and plan your visit. discover shakespeare’s stories and the world that shaped them. deepen your understanding of his works and their cultural influence. bring shakespeare’s work to life in the classroom. find teaching resources and opportunities. dive deep into the world’s largest shakespeare collection and access primary sources from the early modern period. support us to bring shakespeare and his world to life for everyone. press release: june 21, 2024   washington, dc the folger shakespeare library, which houses the world’s largest shakespeare collection, reopened today after a four year renovation that transformed its historic home on capitol hill with a bold and accessible design. the private ribbon cutting ceremony included numerous vips including washington, dc mayor muriel bowser, librarian of congress dr. carla hayden, poet kyle dargan, folger director dr. michael witmore, board chair d. jarrett arp, and other members of the folger’s board of directors. dame karen pierce, british ambassador to the united states, read a special congratulatory message from king charles iii. the ribbon was cut by witmore, bowser, dc council member charles allen (ward 6), arp and board members florence cohen, eugene pickard, jr., and susan sachs goldman, with longest serving staff member rosalind larry and newest staff member india moore holding the ceremonial ribbon. the folger officially opened its doors to the public at 1pm. the folger welcomes visitors of all ages and provides numerous opportunities to engage directly with its world class collection and the works of william shakespeare. for the first time, all 82 copies of the folger’s first folios, the first published collection of all shakespeare’s plays, will be displayed together; the folger’s first folio collection is the largest in the world, and first folios preserved 18 of shakespeare’s plays including macbeth and julius caesar that may have otherwise been lost forever. “our reimagined space allows us to bring out the wonders from our archives and provides a blueprint for visitors to engage with shakespeare in new and interactive ways through the power of performance, the wonder of exhibitions, and the excitement of path breaking research… all in one building,” said folger director michael witmore. the $80.5 million building expansion, designed by the philadelphia based architectural firm of kierantimberlake, has made the historic building more accessible, welcoming, and dynamic for all, from teachers and students of shakespeare to theater and literature lovers to those who are curious to know more. highlights of the renovation include: imprints in time, the inaugural show in a new special exhibitions gallery, is drawn entirely from the peerless collection of dayton, ohio based collectors stuart and mimi rose. the 52 works on display at the folger represent the breadth of rose’s impressive collection, documenting some of the greatest achievements of writing and creativity across many centuries. among the works that visitors will encounter are an egyptian book of the dead from the first century bce; a first edition of nicolaus copernicus’ de revolutionibus (1543), which first proposed the heliocentric view of our planetary system; a first edition of the most notorious banned book of the 17th century galileo galilei’s dialogo, which defended copernicus’ view of the solar system and was inscribed by galileo himself; a first trade edition of winnie the pooh, inscribed by author a. a. milne to his son; j.r.r. tolkien’s page proofs, corrected in his hand, for the lord of the rings; an advance press copy of martin luther king jr.’s “i have a dream” speech; and a section of the apollo 11 flight plan that neil armstrong and buzz aldrin had with them on the moon. how to visit: after an event filled opening weekend, the folger’s regular operating hours for the building will begin: monday: closed tuesday: 11 am 6 pm wednesday: 11 am 6 pm thursday: 11 am 9 pm friday: 11 am 9 pm saturday: 11 am 9 pm sunday: 11 am 6 pm hours may be extended sunday, tuesday, and wednesday if performances are scheduled in the theater. tours will be offered at noon and 4pm sunday wednesday, with an additional tour offered thursday saturday at 7pm. the folger recommends visitors use timed entry passes to ensure entry into the folger’s new exhibition halls at the time of their choosing. passes may be booked up to three months in advance. admission to the folger is free, though a donation of $15 per person is suggested to support operating costs. the reading room reopens on tuesday, june 25, with its own hours of operation. a full press kit with additional background information about the folger and images can be found here. the folger shakespeare library makes shakespeare’s stories and the world in which he lived accessible. anchored by the world’s largest shakespeare collection, the folger is a place where curiosity and creativity are embraced, and conversation is always encouraged. visitors to the folger can choose how they want to experience the arts and humanities, from interactive exhibitions to captivating performances, and from pathbreaking research to transformative educational programming. the folger welcomes everyone to connect in their own way from communities throughout washington dc to communities across the globe. learn more at folger.edu. # # # colleen kennedy, 202.544.4600 x703 / ckennedy@folger.edu garland scott, 202.675.0342 / gscott@folger.edu peter eramo, jr., 202.675.0344 / peramo@folger.edu karen baratz, 240.497.1811 / karen@baratzpr.com find out what’s on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved.

in the lead up to the 2022 midterm elections, i could sense that the hard news sections of the media must have gotten the word that the george floyd racial reckoning, having unleashed a historic murder wave, was not playing as well with voters as democrat strategists had assumed it would, so it was time to memory hole that obsession of american elites. the soft news sections in the back of the book, however, didn’t seem to get the memo. plus the well endowed cultural institutions they cover tend to be slower moving than political campaigns and the like. hence, deep into 2024, the folger shakespeare library in washington dc is now proudly trumpeting how they’ve blackfaced shakespeare: from the new york times news section: the folger library wants to reintroduce you to shakespeare after an $80 million expansion, the folger shakespeare library is reopening with a more welcoming approach   and all 82 of its first folios on view. by jennifer schuessler jennifer schuessler has reported frequently on shakespeare, including following a first folio to south dakota. june 21, 2024 … the building needed “a different handshake,” said witmore (who is retiring at the end of this month after 13 years at the helm). previously, visitors entered by climbing the steps to the marble facade, inscribed with soaring quotes from ben jonson and other long dead writers. seriously, the problem with the original folger shakespeare library as a tourist attraction is that it’s ho hum compared to its grandiose neighbors: the capitol, the supreme court building, and the library of congress. it was built in 1932 after mr. folger’s fortune took a hit in the stock market crash of 1929. plus, the architects already had the modernist anti decoration virus that became all conquering after 1945. wikipedia reports: “trowbridge and cret shared a similar vision for the design of the library a neoclassical building that stripped the facade of any decorative elements.” so, they wound up with what looks like a really tasteful above ground bunker with a barely noticeable staircase: what i’d do is commission artists to decorate this rather boring building with streamlined 1932 art deco designs. the public loves art deco, and the less gaudy, more sci fi looking 1930s versions of architectural decoration are particularly appealing. and i’d dig out the front yard and make it a sunken garden that you descend into before climbing the new broad grand staircase to the front door. tourists love marble steps where they can feel justified in sitting down and resting their weary feet in an august setting, especially if the staircase is flanked by giant bronze lions or the like. instead, the folger spent a fortune making this side delivery door the new grand entrance: now that’s what i call a welcoming entrance (if i were a deliveryman looking to drop off a load of bottled water). if i were a tourist wanting to see the grand sights of the national’s capital, however … now, they follow the descending garden path ringed with a poem by rita dove, which exhorts visitors to “clear your calendars, pocket your notes.” rita dove’s poetry just blows away shakespeare’s stuff. granted, shakespeare’s most awesome lines (“quintessence of dust” or “a tale told by an idiot”) tend to be too bleak for an upbeat welcome. but, still, rita dove? inside, the first wall panel reads, in big letters, “shakespeare?” and then below: “he was then and there and he is here and now. discoveries await!” behind it, in a small anteroom, visitors catch a glimpse of part of an intricate black mirror by the african american artist fred wilson, who represented the united states at the 2003 venice biennale. opposite it, first seen reflected in its surface, is george gower’s famous 1579 portrait of elizabeth i, in milky white lead makeup. hung nearby are archival materials relating to ira aldridge, most likely the first black actor to play “othello,” in 1825. before that, the role was played by white actors in blackface. the question of whom shakespeare “belongs” to is also addressed pointedly in the main exhibit, which pivots quickly from a brief sketch of shakespeare’s biography to the british colonization of north america, which began in the very years shakespeare was writing. on these shores, shakespeare became canonized as “one of the wells from which we americans draw our national thought,” as emily folger put it. but that “we” did not necessarily include everyone. “for far too long,” one panel notes, “shakespeare was seen as both the property of white culture and evidence of its supremacy.” the folger itself is part of that history. in 1938, the library’s director, joseph quincy adams, denied a request by benjamin brawley, a professor at howard university, for tickets to the annual shakespeare birthday lecture. while black scholars could use the reading room, adams decided that their mingling with white attendees at an “intimate social function” would be “distasteful to a majority of our guests.” brawley came anyway. “he single handedly integrated the social functions of the folger,” witmore said. (witmore’s successor as director, farah karim cooper, is the former director of education at shakespeare’s globe in london and the author of “the great white bard: how to love shakespeare while talking about race.” professor karim cooper’s career has benefited hugely from the giant push to promote black women to top jobs. the folger’s press release announcing her hiring boasted: her most recent book, the great white bard: how to love shakespeare while talking about race (2023) was voted a top book of 2023 by time magazine, npr, and the new yorker. she is a field leader in examining shakespeare’s plays through the lens of race and social justice. in 2018 she founded and curated the globe’s shakespeare and race festival and conceived and curated the antiracist shakespeare webinar series from 2021 2024. she is an executive board member for raceb4race, a consortium of scholars and institutions working on issues of race in premodern literature, history, and culture. in the uk, she founded the first ever early modern scholars of colour network. technically, though, she isn’t black. (she’s from pakistan.) back to the nyt: the galleries, which showcase items from across the collection, are ringed with testimonials by a diverse array of scholars and artists who have drawn inspiration from shakespeare and the folger’s collections, including mya gosling, described as the creator of “the world’s foremost (and perhaps only) stick figure shakespeare webcomic.” she goes by the name mya lixian gosling, so you can tell she’s not 100% one of these hateful white people, like, say, shakespeare was. a few comments on this one: ***i find it helpful to think about culture as the surface of a pond. when a big disruptive rock like blm is dropped into it, the ripples take a long time to get to the pond's periphery. i was talking to mrs c about this, in the context of esg in business. i had read an article in the uk telegraph suggesting that esg had peaked in the uk about three years ago (hmmm; perhaps not a coincidence, that), and that companies are now trying to ditch their esg commitments as fast as they can. she countered that here in the hong kong corporate world, esg is peaking right now. so there's a ripple from a us/uk 'rock drop' out to international big business circles. and then there's another, wider ripple out to smaller companies. and then there's another ripple out to university business courses and textbooks, which will have chirpy 'esg is super!' examples abounding for the next decade at least. ***it's painful to witness the tortured dynamic going on at museums like this in this post, in which one of the core treasures of western civ is still the main product, but stakeholders are just oozing desperation to 'contextualize', i.e. undermine the quality and importance of, such masterpieces. here they're doing this undermining literally, i.e. by sending visitors through the underground servants' entrance if they want to catch a glimpse of the bard. ***my interest was piqued by that line about the nyt reporter following a shakespeare folio to south dakota. that immediately struck me as a 'gorillas in the mist' coastal anthropological expedition to observe shit kicking flyoveristas try to make sense of artefacts from some unimaginably advanced alien civilization. so i googled it. sure enough: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/26/theater/shakespeare the book tour.html the article's first two paragraphs do not disappoint: "visitors to this town [i.e. vermillion, sd] of about 11,000 on a bluff near the missouri river have long been surprised to learn that it’s home to a set of rare stradivari stringed instruments, which are housed in a museum here along with the world’s oldest playable harpsichord, the oldest surviving cello and some 15,000 other historic instruments." "but this month, visitors to the national music museum on the university of south dakota campus have also found themselves face to face with another seemingly misplaced cultural treasure: a shakespeare first folio." if only those south dakotans could evolve opposable thumbs, they'd likely show some interest in the world's oldest playable harpsichord! and what could be more misplaced than a great work of literature on the godforsaken windswept backwater great plains! farah karim cooper, the new shakespeare folger (washington d.c.) director, is:   a 1995 graduate of california state  fullerton (ba, english);   a 1996 ma graduate of the university of london, royal holloway college (that was...fast); and   a 2003 phd graduate of same. all three degrees majoring in english. phd dissertation: "cosmetics in shakespearean and renaissance drama." she says she met her husband, mr. cooper, during her ma studies in london. by the time she graduated with her ma, she says, they were engaged. in aug. 2023, farah karim cooper published a book titled "the great white bard: how to love shakespeare while talking about race." late may 2024: shakespeare folger made official their intention to hire her as new director. no posts ready for more?

“clear your calendars. pocket your notes”: so begins a rita dove poem beside a new garden path that leads visitors away from the official world of capitol hill and into the soon to reopen folger shakespeare library. there, as dove puts it, “the jumbled perfumes of our human potpourri / waft up from a single page.” the library has been closed since 2020 and finally reopens to the public this friday, june 21, following a $80.5 million expansion that’s intended to make the building more accessible and welcoming hence the english style garden paths filled with flowers referenced in shakespeare’s plays, which flank two new public entrances on the west and east sides of the library. the eye catching gardens are far from the most notable change at the neoclassical building, which first opened in 1932. the folger, home to the largest shakespeare collection in the world, excavated earth below the building and renovated what was previously its basement to create space for two new exhibition halls that span 12,000 square feet. now it finally has more room to display its treasures. the shakespeare exhibition hall and the stuart and mimi rose rare book and manuscript exhibition hall are the first spaces that will greet visitors after they enter through the new, wheelchair accessible entrances. inside the hall devoted to the bard, you’ll find what’s arguably the folger’s most prized collection its first folios, which are among the earliest published collections of shakespeare’s plays. for the first time, all 82 copies of the folger’s first folios will be displayed together. accompanying them is a newly built re creation of a 17th century printing press, along with artifacts and objects that show how people have engaged with shakespeare’s work throughout the centuries. nearby, the rare book and manuscript exhibition hall will display a diverse assortment of literary artifacts taken from the folger’s collection of roughly 350,000 items. the expansion “allows us to have a place to really show some of the amazing things in the collection,” says folger’s director of collections and exhibitions greg prickman, who points out a 15th century copy of the canterbury tales, along with a 16th century dowland lute book. “the material that the folger holds gets used in the reading room by scholars, and it’s studied extensively,” prickman says, “but we always wanted to share it with a broader audience.” on the other end of the rare books hall is space that will be dedicated to temporary exhibits. the first is called “imprints in time,” and it features rare books borrowed from collector stuart rose, who has a penchant for finding copies of books with personal ties to their authors. some of the exhibit’s rarities include early proofs of the lord of the rings with j.r.r. tolkien’s hand written corrections, a first trade edition of winnie the pooh that’s bears the signature of a. a. milne dedicating the copy to his son, and a signed first edition of galileo’s dialogo, which had been banned for defending copernicus’s view of the solar system. the exhibit will be on display through january 5, 2025. other new features of the renovation include an expanded gift shop and upgrades to accessibility, including inside the folger’s 6,000 square foot elizabethan theater, where the fall season will kick off with romeo and juliet. a new cafe named quill & crumb will also open later this year inside the great hall, which still bears its ornate oak paneling and ornamental floor tile. when the cafe opens, you can expect a variety of sandwiches and tartines, from smoked salmon to blackberry and ricotta, along with pastries, such as an apricot turmeric tea cake and a lavender blackberry financier. a full service bar and light bites will also be available in the evening. admission to the folger shakespeare library is free, though a donation of $15 per person is encouraged. it will be open from 11 am to 6 pm on tuesday, wednesdays, and sundays and from 11 am to 9 pm on thursdays, fridays, and saturdays. to ensure entry into the building, the library recommends reserving timed entry passes prior to visiting.

supported by almost 125 years after edmond dédé’s death, his magnum opus “morgiane,” perhaps the oldest existing opera by a black american, is to be staged for the first time. by keith o’brien after the spellow library in liverpool was targeted during england’s unrest last summer, more than 10,000 people donated to its restoration. by lynsey chutel the magazine’s ethicist columnist on the curation of a book collection. by kwame anthony appiah republicans passed the law in 2023, joining other conservative states and counties that have sought to restrict the availability of certain books. by eduardo medina these interior designers have strategies for creating personal spaces for reading, whether it is in a dedicated room or a welcoming corner in your house. by tim mckeough she transformed the new york public library’s collection of charts and atlases into one of the world’s largest and most accessible resources. by sam roberts the new york public library’s annual benefit was a who’s who of literary stars and creative luminaries. by alex vadukul amanda jones, who will attend a gala on monday at the new york public library, lobbied against restrictions on libraries   and faced a backlash. by james barron a record number of books were banned in districts across the country during the 2023 2024 school year, according to a free speech organization. by alexandra alter 今年春天，曼哈顿摩根博物馆内发现了一篇乐谱，经过专家鉴定，这是浪漫主义“钢琴诗人”肖邦创作的的圆舞曲，此前从未为人所知。钢琴家郎朗演奏了这首乐曲。 by javier c. hernández as libraries become public stages for social problems   homelessness, drug use, mental health   the people who work there are burning out. by christina caron una obra desconocida de puño y letra del compositor ha aparecido en un museo de nueva york, el primer hallazgo de este tipo en más de medio siglo. escúchala aquí interpretada por lang lang. by javier c. hernández an unknown work in the composer’s hand has emerged in a new york museum, the first such find in more than a half century. the pianist lang lang plays it here. by javier c. hernández democrats swept a school board election in bucks county after republicans instituted book bans and other changes. but the right wing “parental rights” movement has left an indelible mark. by dana goldstein a colorado woman was decluttering, when she found something that had belonged to her grandmother: “shakespeare’s life of king henry the fifth.” by victor mather the subject of a bestseller who led a remarkable life as a scholar and cultural force while hiding her black identity is the focus of an exhibition at the institution she headed. by celia mcgee mapping the people, homes and hot spots that transformed harlem during its renaissance. by derrick bryson taylor and scott reinhard weeding, or culling old, damaged or outdated books, is standard practice in libraries. but in some cases it is being used to remove books because of the viewpoint they express. by elizabeth a. harris the voluminous papers of the celebrated neurologist include letters, notebooks, drafts and other traces of a man who couldn’t stop writing. by jennifer schuessler the qatar national is not just a model for celebrity designed library buildings. it also underscores the links between books and manuscripts and the country’s cultural heritage. by david belcher in her lively “book and dagger,” the historian elyse graham rescues a cast of scholar spies from obscurity. by ben macintyre two reports from advocacy groups show that book banning continues at higher rates than before the pandemic. newly implemented state laws are impacting the numbers this year. by elizabeth harris you know something is wrong in america when beloved schoolteachers and librarians become the target of hate groups. by margaret renkl a group of new york’s most powerful philanthropies will spend millions to help make migrants more self sufficient. by eliza shapiro readers disagree about whether putting off sentencing until after the election was the right move. also: risky covid behavior; outdoor dining; a librarian’s fight. the dispute started in the early days of the pandemic when the organization expanded access to a free online collection of books. by eli tan amid a surge in book bans nationwide, the librarian amanda jones was targeted by vicious threats. so she decided to fight back. by alexandra alter a state law limits sexual content in school libraries. but several publishing companies say it has led to a “regime of strict censorship” in school districts. by troy closson working in a louisiana middle school has made amanda jones a culture warrior, a process she describes in “that librarian: the fight against book banning in america.” an exhibition at the morgan, drawn from its collection of musical manuscripts, sheds light on one of the most collaborative periods in dance. by alice courtright responses to a column by david french. also: the candidates’ foreign experience; a loss of diversity in network news; school libraries; independent voters. a federal appeals court lifted an injunction on the law, which had already led to the removal of thousands of books from public school classrooms and libraries. by alexandra alter and elizabeth a. harris “balloon story” is an extravaganza, its creative producer said. by james barron discussion about what books children should access has diminished on the national stage. but most rules pertaining to schools and libraries are made at the state and local level. by elizabeth a. harris building subsidized housing in america relies on cheap land, and creative ideas. by michael kimmelman mayor eric adams and the city council reached a $112 billion budget deal that restored some unpopular cuts to key programs. by emma g. fitzsimmons and jeffery c. mays the harlem renaissance changed the world. we’ve gathered dozens of images, many that we’ve never published, showing the people and the art that they created. by the new york times the city council successfully pushed to reverse budget cuts that mayor eric adams had proposed to libraries, cultural institutions and composting. by emma g. fitzsimmons and jeffery c. mays explore a whiskey renaissance, tour the country’s oldest public library and brave a brisk sea dip in the irish capital. by megan specia as the city budget deadline looms, the targets of mayor eric adams’s cuts are rallying their bases. by james barron after an $80 million expansion, the folger shakespeare library is reopening with a more welcoming approach   and all 82 of its first folios on view. by jennifer schuessler an uplifting new library in manhattan comes with 12 floors of subsidized apartments. it’s a clever way to find community support for housing. by michael kimmelman how the women who ran libraries during the harlem renaissance built collections and, just as important, communities of writers and readers. by jennifer schuessler rafael rodriguez works at one of the few libraries open on sundays in new york city. that means his day is busy, but he still finds time for a little “mad men.” by alix strauss public officials from congress to city hall are now regularly subjected to threats of violence. it’s changing how they do their jobs. by danny hakim, ken bensinger and eileen sullivan openai may be changing how the world interacts with language. but inside headquarters, there is a homage to the written word: a library. by cade metz and christie hemm klok with wood pallets piled at the entrance, dozens of pro palestinian activists are holed up in the portland state university library. here’s a look inside the makeshift fortress. by kimberly cortez, mike baker and jordan gale dozens of books have disappeared from warsaw to paris. the police are looking into who is taking them, and why   a tale of money, geopolitics, crafty forgers and lackluster library security. by rachel donadio the mayor released a revised $111.6 billion budget, which included $2.3 billion that would restore some funding for schools and cultural institutions. by jeffery c. mays and dana rubinstein five renovated branches are waiting to reopen, if the system receives sufficient funding. by james barron harvard’s recent decision to remove the binding of a notorious volume in its library has thrown fresh light on a shadowy corner of the rare book world. by jennifer schuessler and julia jacobs amid a nationwide surge in book bans, memoirs and novels that deal with the experiences of l.g.b.t.q. people or explore race received the most challenges. by elizabeth a. harris a globe spanning research project has turned the catalog of a public archive destroyed in ireland’s civil war into a model for reconstruction. by ed o’loughlin la decisión de encontrar una “disposición final respetuosa” para los restos humanos utilizados en un libro del siglo xix se produce en medio de un creciente escrutinio de su presencia en las colecciones de los museos. by jennifer schuessler and julia jacobs the decision to find a “respectful final disposition” for human remains used for a 19th century book comes amid growing scrutiny of their presence in museum collections. by jennifer schuessler and julia jacobs book challenges around the country reached the highest levels ever recorded by a library organization. by alexandra alter the bay area has had many lives. the oakland novelist leila mottley shares books that paint a picture of the city that lives and breathes today. by leila mottley how the archive of candida royalle, a porn star turned pioneering director, landed at harvard   and inspired a new book challenging the conventional history of the sexual revolution. by jennifer schuessler libraries are now shut on sundays, so the museum decided to step up. by james barron the morgan library & museum drew devotees out for a party celebrating its centennial, including peter marino, vito schnabel and walton ford. by alex vadukul and dolly faibyshev con su biblioteca, su centro de la tercera edad, sus mercados y complejos deportivos, fernanda canales está llevando el sentido de comunidad, la belleza y la seguridad a pueblos desatendidos. by sam lubell a program this month encourages library patrons in worcester, mass., who have lost or damaged books or other items to reactivate their accounts. all they need is a picture of a cat. by christine hauser the star, whose show “rupaul’s drag race” has an international following, is one of the founders of a new online bookstore promoting underrepresented authors. the giveaways are part of its outreach. by amanda holpuch with her library, senior center, markets and sports complexes, fernanda canales is bringing a sense of community, beauty and safety to underserved towns. by sam lubell aaron lansky spent a lifetime building the yiddish book center, one of the country’s leading jewish cultural institutions. he’s ready to hand over the reins. by joseph berger why is it that books found in giveaway piles cast such a spell on us? by sam dolnick readers offer suggestions to president biden. also: alejandro mayorkas’s impeachment; donald trump and the military; libraries under fire; helping the mentally ill. with museums, special exhibitions and unique events, presidential libraries across the country are designed as destinations for everyone   not just scholars or academics. by lauren sloss wealthy, liberal leaning blue hill prided itself on staying above the fray   until the library stocked a book that drew anger from the left. by elizabeth williamson as libraries become battlegrounds in the nation’s culture wars, their allies are fighting to preserve access to their collections and keep themselves out of jail, or worse. by elizabeth williamson

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supported by after an $80 million expansion, the folger shakespeare library is reopening with a more welcoming approach   and all 82 of its first folios on view. by jennifer schuessler jennifer schuessler has reported frequently on shakespeare, including following a first folio to south dakota. social media is awash with pictures of jaw dropping libraries, elaborately styled home bookshelves and all manner of drool worthy library porn. but for understated dazzle, it’s hard to compete with a wall in the new basement galleries of the folger shakespeare library in washington, d.c. for decades, the library’s 82 copies of shakespeare’s first folio   the largest collection in the world   were locked away in a vault, with access granted only to select scholars. but now, anyone can enter the public galleries and see them displayed in a special wall case, laid flat with spines out. in the dim, curatorially correct lighting, they glow like some kind of mysterious dark matter. but during a preview of the building, which reopens this weekend after a four year, $80 million expansion, the folger’s director, michael witmore, reached for a sunnier metaphor. the folio   a collection of 36 of shakespeare’s plays, published by his friends in 1623, seven years after his death   is “the ultimate message in a bottle.” “and the miracle is that every generation opens up the bottle and it turns out the plays, the message, was addressed to them,” witmore said.

 for book news, special columns, auction reports, events, and more. first folio gallery, shakespeare exhibition hall rendering the folger shakespeare library is reopening its historic home on capitol hill to the public on november 17, 2023, after a major three year building renovation that will allow the folger to share more of its collection and resources than ever before and put its collection of shakespeare first folios on permanent display for the first time. the transformed folger will welcome visitors to new and reimagined spaces including new exhibition halls, a learning lab, lush gardens, and expanded amenities such as a new café and gift shop. “after much planning and dedicated work, the folger is opening to a wider world and an even more expansive vision of what shakespeare, the humanities, and the arts can contribute,” said folger director michael witmore. “this is a golden opportunity for us to reintroduce ourselves and welcome local, national, and international communities to the new folger.” after a decade of planning, the building renovation represents an ongoing commitment to make the folger even more widely inclusive and accessible to all people. the new galleries and visitor experiences have been planned in consultation with a diverse cross section of dc community members and organizations and are designed to create a sense of belonging and inspiration for all who come to the folger. “the renovation is more than buildings and spaces, it’s about creating true accessibility to the wonderful cultural resources and experiences that make the folger a singular place to visit amongst the impressive group of dc cultural institutions,” said karen ann daniels, director of programming and artistic director of folger theatre. “there are infinitely more possibilities for engaging our neighbors in ways that matter to them, supporting the expansive academic and artistic possibilities, as well as opportunities for local students, artists, families, tourists, and so much more.” aerial view of the east entry and plaza gardens at the folger rendering the new rose rare book and exhibition hall at the folger rendering shakespeare exhibition hall with printing press at the folger rendering the new exhibition spaces will include folger’s first permanent shakespeare exhibition.