Our Common Ground: Reflections on a Day of Creativity, Adventure, and Play

On May 14, 2026, the Rare Book and Special Collections Division welcomed visitors to the Library of Congress for Our Common Ground: 250 Years of Americans Engaging with Nature, a day-long symposium exploring how Americans have documented, imagined, and delighted in the natural world through print, art, storytelling, games, and shared experiences. Organized around the themes We Create, We Adventure, and We Play, the program brought together contemporary artists, designers, performers, and Library collections in conversation with one another.