News Briefs

The U.S. Copyright Office at the Library announced that the Copyright Public Records System has replaced its online public catalog.

The Copyright Public Records System provides copyright registration and recordation data with advanced search capabilities, filters and improved interfaces for public users and Copyright Office staff. The system is the second component of the Copyright Office’s Enterprise Copyright System to be made publicly available.

Since the December 2020 release of the Copyright Public Records System pilot, the Copyright Office, in partnership with the Library’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, has continuously improved the system’s search capabilities and interfaces in response to public feedback. The new system includes both recordation and registration information from 1978 to the present and searchable metadata for over 3.8 million registration applications from 1898 to 1945.

The Library launched a significant upgrade to its Chronicling America website, the na-tion’s leading free resource for historical U.S. newspapers. The updated platform now integrates fully with the Library’s broader loc.gov digital collections, offering enhanced accessibility, modern design and powerful research tools across all devices.

The redesigned interface introduces numerous user-focused improvements, including a fully responsive design that ensures seamless use on computers, tablets and smartphones; enhanced image viewing for improved readability; and intuitive browsing options with refined filters. An upgraded advanced search tool provides greater precision, and a new interactive map allows users to explore digitized newspaper titles geographically.

Launched in 2007 and last updated in 2011, Chronicling America has expanded to include more than 23 million newspaper pages from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library has awarded commissions for new musical works to eight composers. The commissions are granted jointly by the foundation and the performing organizations that will present the world premiere of each work.

Winning composers for 2025 and the groups cosponsoring their commissions are: Lisa Bielawa and the Louisville Orchestra; Don Byron and the Sutter-McMillen Duo; Klaus Lang and Yarn/Wire; Angelique Poteat and the Northwest Sinfonietta; Ali Can Puskulcu and the Eclipse String Quartet; Max Vinetz and Exceptet; Eric Wubbels and JACK Quartet; and Bora Yoon and the Harlem Chamber Players.

Serge Koussevitzky, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949, was a champion of contemporary music. He played a vital role in the creation of new works by commissioning composers such as Béla Bartók, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky.

The Library announced LOCal, a new multiyear digital initiative that will expand the Library’s capacity to bring digital collections into local communities through partnerships with public libraries. The Library will partner with two public libraries to co-create interactive digital experiences that connect local community members with relevant materials held in the Library’s collections.

LOCal will enable the Library to collaborate with public libraries and the communities they serve while exploring emerging technologies and approaches to create meaningful experiences with the Library’s vast digital collections.

The Library has selected two public library partners to collaborate with on LOCal: the Eastern Oklahoma Library System and the Cleveland Public Library. Planning is underway, and the digital installations are expected to launch in Oklahoma and Cleveland in 2026.