America’s Time Capsule … for 2276

-This is a guest post by Brett Zongker and Deb Fiscella, both of the public affairs section in the Office of Communications. It also appears in slightly different form in the May/June issue of the Library of Congress Magazine. The nation’s oldest federal cultural institution is using some of the newest technology to preserve digital copies of historical collection items for the next 250 years. As part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, the Library made a trailblazing contribution to America’s Time Capsule : a tiny metal pellet holding synthetic DNA encoded with digital copies of items from the Library’s collections. The capsule itself – a 900-pound stainless steel cylinder covered by a 1,100-pound stainless steel bell jar  – was ceremonially buried 10 feet underground on July 4th at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. Maintained by the park and the National Park Service, it is not to be opened until July 4, 2276. Hundreds of other items – letters, memorabilia and documents, all helping tell the story of the nation’s history and culture – were all tucked in the capsule, including from all three branches of government, the Supreme Court and all states and territories. The Library’s experts helped determine…

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