Members of Congress will be treated to a rare performance by the inimitable Carole King, legendary singer and songwriter, at an event today aimed at highlighting the importance of federal funding for the arts.

Sponsored by Americans for the Arts, in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus, the forum — which takes place from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Capitol’s Room HC-7 —will also feature speeches by National Endowment for the Arts chief Dana Gioia, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts Robert Lynch, as well as Congressional Arts Caucus co-chairmen Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.).

Library’s Churchill Exhibit Extended

The Library of Congress’ popular exhibit “Churchill and the Great Republic,” now on view in the Thomas Jefferson Building’s Northwest Gallery, will be extended for an additional two weeks.

The show, originally scheduled to close June 26, will now run until July 10.

With more than 200 items related to this most famous of British prime ministers, “Churchill and the Great Republic” is billed as the first comprehensive exhibit of Churchill material in the United States.

The exhibit — on view Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — is free and open to the public.

In related news, Sir Martin Gilbert, Churchill’s official biographer, will give a lecture Friday at noon titled “Churchill and D-Day” in the Jefferson Building’s Room LJ-119.

Historic Baseball Guides Go Online

The Library of Congress’ American Memory Web site swings into the spring baseball season with the release of an online presentation of 35 historic baseball guides spanning from 1889 to 1939.

The offerings — which feature the game’s all-time greats like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Ty Cobb — include examples of Spalding’s “Official Base Ball Guide,” the premiere baseball publication of its day, as well as its “Official Indoor Base Ball Guide,” which covered the ins and outs of a game very similar to softball.

The Library boasts more than 1,000 Spalding guides covering a variety of sports.

To view the baseball guides, go to memory.loc.gov/ammem/spalding html.

— Bree Hocking