The Library of Congress is the premiere institution for research on the life and works of Leonard Bernstein. This chapter details how Bernstein’s relationship with the library was established, documents the donations he made to the library during his lifetime, and describes how the relationship with the Bernstein estate has continued to thrive. This chapter gives an overview of the richness of the library’s Leonard Bernstein Collection, one of the most exceptional in the Music Division in terms of the variety and scope of material it contains. In addition to documenting Bernstein’s work and creative process, the Bernstein Collection provides countless avenues of research for those studying music history, television history, education, the Civil Rights movement, LGBTQ+ topics, Jewish identity, and pop culture. The chapter also highlights relevant archival material found elsewhere in the Music Division’s collections, and connects readers with digitized collection material available on the Library of Congress website.

The transformation of Beach’s reputation from an almost-forgotten relic of a bygone era to one of the most highly regarded American Romantic composers provides a case study in reception history. Her “renaissance” resulted from determined advocacy on two fronts: scholarly research and musical performance. In scholarship, the University of New Hampshire and the Library of Congress have assembled formidable archival collections, while Adrienne Fried Block and a bevy of dissertation writers have worked to shed light on Beach’s life and works through publications and conferences. In the performance realm, pianists Virginia Eskin, Mary Louise Boehm, and Joanne Polk have worked tirelessly to introduce her music to the public in concerts and recordings. Several recent documentary films confirm her appeal as a subject and her status in American cultural history.