Explore American history with easily sharable, classroom-ready materials from the Library of Congress

CHICAGO — American Library Association proudly announces two new publications in “Discover and Learn with the Library,” an educational series published by the Library of Congress in association with ALA Editions.

When the American colonies fought for and won independence from Great Britain, their victory did more than redraw the map of the western hemisphere—for the American Revolution was also a revolution of ideas, serving as a model for democracies around the world. Curated from the unparalleled collections of the Library of Congress, the primary sources in “The American Revolution” provide opportunities for learners to explore many different aspects of the early history of the United States.  

US history, including its culture, economy, and political life, has been shaped by the movement of people and communities, both those who came to its shores and those who moved within its borders. “Immigration and Migration in US History” delves into this fascinating and important topic.

Both publications offer classroom-ready materials for teachers, librarians, and home educators working with grades 6–12. Designed to support state curricula and teaching standards, they combine full-color facsimiles of primary sources from the Library’s unparalleled collections with source citations, information about the sources’ origins, teaching strategies, and guides to additional online resources. Each book also features perforated pages on primary sources for ease of sharing.

“Discover and Learn with the Library” reframes research as an engaging process that feeds curiosity, creativity, and change, while preparing students for the future by developing their critical thinking skills. The goal of the series is to help educators identify the most compelling and relevant items for their students from the Library’s extensive collections, help them integrate primary source materials into their instruction, and provide them the flexibility to customize the materials to meet the unique needs of their students. Learn more about the series. Learn more about the series in the Library of Congress’s digital booklet.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world—both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

“Discover and Learn with the Library” is a product of the Library’s Center for Learning, Literacy, and Engagement. The center connects public audiences with Library collections to produce dynamic experiences that value curiosity, model research, and celebrate community. As part of the center, the Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office works to engage, inspire, and inform educators, librarians, early researchers, and literacy champions about the Library’s resources. The Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office administers the Library’s Teaching with Primary Sources Grant program and the Library of Congress Literacy Awards program, develops content for teachers, and facilitates in-person and online professional development opportunities for educators and school librarians.

ALA Editions publishes resources used by library and information professionals, scholars, students, and educators to improve programs and services, build on best practices, enhance pedagogy, share research, develop leadership, and promote advocacy. ALA Editions authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a variety of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at editionsmarketing@ala.org.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.