The Library of Congress Launches New Interactive eBook Series for Students and Teachers, All Materials Free to Access
The new Library of Congress Student Discovery Sets bring together historical artifacts and one-of-a-kind documents on a wide range of topics, from history to science to literature. Interactive tools let students zoom in for close examination, draw to highlight interesting details and make notes about what they discover.
The first six Student Discovery Sets are available now for the iPad, and can be downloaded for free on iBooks.
These sets cover the U.S. Constitution, Symbols of the United States, Immigration, the Dust Bowl, the Harlem Renaissance, and Understanding the Cosmos.The objects in the Student Discovery Sets are primary sources—items created by eyewitnesses to history. From Galileo’s drawings of the moon to Zora Neale Hurston’s plays to Thomas Edison’s films, these maps, songs, posters, sheet music and iconic images immerse students in history, culture and science and give them the power to explore.
The First Six Titles in the Series (Links Direct to iTunes to Download)
- The Constitution
The drafts and debates that brought the Constitution and the Bill of Rights into being, including notes by the documents’ framers.
- The Dust Bowl
Songs, maps, and iconic photographs document the daily ordeals of rural migrant families during a disastrous decade.
- The Harlem Renaissance
Discover some of the innovative thinkers and creative works that contributed to the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.
- Immigration
The immigrant experience in America from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in primary sources.
- Symbols of the United States
Watch six well-known symbols of the U.S. change over the centuries. Especially for early grades.
- Understanding the Cosmos
Astronomers’ depictions of the universe, from before Copernicus to after photography.
Additional Resources For Teachers From LC
See Also: Smithsonian Science Education Center Releases Free iBooks Textbook for Students (Grades 3-5)
Posted September 4, 2014.

About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.