The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can
be viewed on the agency's Web site at
http://www.imls.gov/news/2010/113010.shtm.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2010 

Library of Congress Press Contacts
Erin Allen, 202-707-7302; [log in to unmask] 
Jo Rasi, 202-707-1733; [log in to unmask]

Public Contact
Nancy Groce 202-707-1744; [log in to unmask] 

IMLS Press Contact
Gina White, 202-653-4745; [log in to unmask]

American Folklife Center Symposium Highlights American Workers 

Work and Transformation: Documenting Working Americans
December 6-7, 2010 
Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540

Washington, DC-The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress
and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invite the
public to Work and Transformation: Documenting Working Americans, a free
two-day public symposium on the documentation of work, workers, and the
culture of work in contemporary America. The symposium will take place
at the Library of Congress on Monday, December 6 and Tuesday, December
7, 2010. The symposium features folklorists, librarians, ethnographers,
labor historians, musicians, canal workers, policy makers, and
journalists. 

The United States is experiencing critical changes in work and workplace
culture, as far-ranging as those of the Industrial Revolution.
Throughout America, people are being challenged to reshape their
relationship to work, their workplace skills and identity, and their
place in occupational communities and civil society. Work and
Transformation will foster dialogue about America's workforce in
transition, and explore ways in which the value of work and of workers
in contemporary America can be documented to enhance understanding.

Speakers at this multi-faceted event include Steven Greenhouse, labor
and workplace reporter for the New York Times, who will deliver the
keynote address; Marsha Semmel, Acting Director of the Institute of
Museum and Library Services; Mary Boone, State Librarian of North
Carolina; D'Vera Cohn, of the Pew Research Center; and Richard D'Abate,
Executive Director of the Maine Historical Society. They will be joined
by experts from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, and the National Labor College.

Work and Transformation highlights the ongoing ethnographic research
undertaken by the American Folklife Center's 2010 Archie Green Fellows.
Folklorist Steve Zeitlin, Director of New York City's City Lore, unveils
his documentary research on the changes in work culture on the Erie
Canal, accompanied by community scholar Captain Steve Wunder of the
tugboat Seneca. Folklorists and radio producers Nick Spitzer and Maureen
Loughran, from the award-winning radio series American Routes, will
examine the role played by working musicians in Louisiana's post-Katrina
recovery. They are joined by community scholar Derrick Tabb from the
famed Rebirth Brass Band of New Orleans. Finally, folklorist Robert
McCarl, from Boise State University, details his on-going research with
miners, environmentalists, and community members in Idaho's Silver
Valley. 

The symposium also examines the important contributions made by
libraries, museums, and historical societies to the changing American
workscape. These local centers are evolving into dynamic community
resource centers for adult education, assisting the public with the
acquisition and application of "21st Century Skills." 

Work and Transformation is free, but registration is recommended. For
the complete schedule and to register online, visit
www.loc.gov/folklife/Symposia/work.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services 
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of
federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that
connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the
national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to
sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and
innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about
the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov. 

About the American Folklife Center
The American Folklife Center was created by Congress in 1976 and placed
at the Library of Congress to "preserve and present American folklife"
through programs of research, documentation, archival preservation,
reference, service, live performance, exhibition, public programs, and
training. For more information on the Center, visit
www.loc.gov/folklife. 

About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural
institution, is the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing
unparalleled collections and integrated resources to the Congress and
the American people. Many of the Library's rich resources and treasures
may also be accessed through the Library's Web site www.loc.gov and via
interactive exhibitions on www.myLOC.gov.

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