Micronesian Weaving, Tap Dance Footsteps, and a Secret Stash of Ice Cream Lore

A rare thread connects the remote Ulithi Atoll in Micronesia to the digital vaults of the Library of Congress: the tradition of lavalava weaving, now preserved through 23 oral histories in the Ulithian language. This collection, part of a broader initiative to spotlight underrepresented voices, captures the artistry and cultural lifeblood of the Remathau women, whose woven cloths are as vital to community ties as they are beautiful. Elsewhere in the archives, over 20,000 newly digitized images from the Continental Congress era invite a deep dive into the birth of American governance, while a tap dance dataset shuffles in, chronicling the uniquely American rhythms that once echoed across vaudeville stages. The latest newspaper additions—ranging from African American presses to Serbian and Spanish-language titles—reveal a patchwork of perspectives often missing from mainstream history. From baseball programs to geospatial data, the Library’s digital shelves are a living, breathing map of cultural memory—where every scan, story, and song adds a new layer to the story of us. #LibraryOfCongress #CulturalHeritage #DigitalArchives #Culture