The Library of Congress seeks photos of COVID-19 experiences in the US

Starting today, the Library of Congress invites all Flickr members based in the United States or territories to share photos of their experiences living through the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Whether you are a professional photographer or just someone capturing pictures for fun with your cell phone camera, the Library of Congress would like to see your photos.

To participate, join the “COVID-19 American Experiences” group on Flickr and submit your pictures. Library curators will review your submissions and select images to add to the group’s photo pool and to preserve in their permanent collections. You can contribute up to five photographs or graphic artworks. The Library encourages all participants to consider assigning their images a Creative Commons license such as “Attribution-NonCommercial” that would enable them to display the photos in larger sizes on its website if selected for acquisition.

 

What types of photos should I submit?

Photos that depict your experience of the pandemic are welcome. Examples of topics include, but are not limited to: pictures related to protective measures, online birthday parties, street scenes, distance learning, panic buying, lost jobs and new kinds of jobs, child care and elder care, etc. along with expressions of anxiety and sorrow, hope and humor. All photos submitted must be safe and acceptable to all audiences.

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What’s the goal of this project?

The Library of Congress wants to expand its documentation of the COVID-19 pandemic. After securing special projects from nationally recognized artists and photographers, the Library is now looking to cover many more parts of the US and many more aspects of the pandemic with the help of your contributions.

Please be sure to read the full rules for entry on the group page. By adding your images to the group, you are giving the Library of Congress permission to add your photographs to its permanent collections and to display them on its website. Images selected from this group for the Library’s permanent collection will also be shared in galleries from the Library of Congress Flickr account.

We’re looking forward to the great contributions you will make! And don’t forget to check out the Library of Congress’ Flickr account to explore their historical photo collections.