About the Library of Congress
Established by Congress on April 24, 1800, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, although it was not always so. The library started in the new Capitol building after the change of government from Philadelphia. The small library of 3,000 volumes was destroyed in August of 1814 when British troops invaded and set fire to the Capitol building. Within a month former President Jefferson sold his personal library to replace the library. Jefferson's library included many documents that were of no use to Congress, such as cook books, however the expansive collection of 6,487 books was quickly purchased from him for $23,950. The library grew yet larger in the 1850's when Joseph Henry, the Smithsonian's Secretary, transferred the institutution's 40,000 volume library to the Library of Congress.
On December 24, 1851, the largest fire in the Library's history occurred and destroyed two-thirds of the library's 55,000 book collection, including that of Thomas Jefferson's. Congress approved $168,700 to replace the books lost in the fire.
Who is the big man who is in charge of this giganic resource that spans three buildings? It just so happens that James H, Billington, the current Librarian of Congress, is the biggest and baddest librarian potentially in the entire world. He took this position in 1987.
The Library of Congress is open to the public, though to enter a reading room or access the collection, you must have a Reader Identification Card. Reader Identification Cards are issued to persons over 16 years of age who present a government issued picture identification. Even with a Reader Identification Card, though, you cannot check out any items. That privelege is reserved for members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, staff of the Library of Congress, and other high-ranking government officials.
Visiting the Library of Congress
Tours of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress are an hour long, covering the art and architecture of the building and the Main Reading Room. Tours run at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 2:30 pm Mondays through Saturdays, with another tour at 3:30 pm on weekdays. On Federal Holidays, the first tour is at 9:30 am. Organizations and schools 5th grade and up can reserve a tour for 12 to 60 people Monday through Friday at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, or 1:00 pm.
Pictures of the Library of Congress
Inside a Reading Room
