It Was An Uncommonly Hot Summer: Using Weather Observations in Historical Novels and Films

The Library of Congress receives requests from authors and film-makers for weather observations that will assist them in accurately setting a scene and bringing historical context to a story. Some of these questions can be easily answered with the use of modern climatological data and summaries. On the other hand, some requests can be challenging, especially requests for those times and locations of which no data sets exist. This presentation will share how a science reference librarian at the Library of Congress identifies historical weather observations using the Library of Congress collections of manuscripts, books, newspapers, and digital resources.