News Briefs

The Library has selected 25 films for the National Film Registry due to their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.

The selections for 2025 date back to the silent film era with six silent films dating from 1896 to 1926 — a significant number of films in this class. The newest film added to the registry is from 2014 with filmmaker Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” the creation of which included meticulous historical research at the Library to create visually striking scenery.

Iconic Hollywood films from the last 50 years selected for the registry this year include “The Karate Kid,” “Glory,” “Philadelphia,” “Inception” and the teen comedy “Clueless.” Classic Hollywood selections include the 1954 musical “White Christmas” and “High Society” from 1956.

In October, the seventh annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize was awarded to the film “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez.”

Directed by David Alvarado, the film chronicles the extraordinary life of renowned playwright and screenwriter Luis Valdez, who transformed American theater in the 1960s and ’70s and brought the Mexican American experience to the stage and screen. The film was awarded a $200,000 prize. It also was an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

“Diamond Diplomacy,” directed by Yuriko Gamo Romer, received the runner-up prize of $50,000. The film recounts how baseball became the national pastime of Japan even while enduring challenges of war and racism and how it helped to forge a bond between the U.S. and Japan with unexpected ambassadors like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Masanori Murakami.

Underwriting for the prizes is made possible by donations from Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine through the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation, and additional funding is provided by The Better Angels Society.

The Library, in partnership with its affiliate Centers for the Book and PBS Books, has launched the new video series “American Stories: A Reading Road Trip.” The cross-country streaming series uncovers the literary treasures of individual states and territories within the United States and the expansive storied heritage of the country.

Timed with America’s 250th birthday, each installment showcases the profound influence that local writers, poets and raconteurs have had on the cultural identity of their region, inviting viewers to explore the heart, history and creative spirit of the United States through the lens of books and storytelling. Episodes will include iconic authors, unforgettable books, hidden-gem bookstores, amazing libraries and the real-life locations that inspired great works.

In addition, each episode will share highlights from local programs and events hosted by each state’s affiliate Center for the Book, as well as showcase items in a variety of media from the vast online collections of the Library — maps, photographs, sheet music and more — that help illustrate the stories and reveal surprising connections.

The Law Library of Congress and the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) have achieved a major milestone by uploading and making available the 10,000th volume of the United States Congressional Serial Set on the GovInfo website. Those volumes contain more than 185,000 individual government documents and reports.

This is part of a multiyear effort by the Law Library and GPO to digitize and make accessible the United States Congressional Serial Set back to the first volume, which was published in 1817. The U.S. Congressional Serial Set, commonly referred to as the Serial Set, is a compilation of all numbered House and Senate reports and documents, including executive reports and treaty documents, issued for each session of Congress.