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The Library of Congress was established by an act of Congress in 1800 when President John Adams signed a bill providing for the transfer of the seat of government from Philadelphia to the new capital city of Washington. The legislation described a reference library for Congress only, containing "such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress - and for putting up a suitable apartment for containing them therein…"
The original library was housed in the Washington, DC until August 1814, when invading British troops set fire to the Capitol Building, burning and pillaging the contents of the small library.
Within a month, retired President Thomas Jefferson offered his personal library as a replacement. Jefferson had spent 50 years accumulating books; his library was considered to be one of the finest in the United States. In January 1815, Congress accepted Jefferson's offer, and the foundation was laid for a great national library.
In the second half of the 19th Century Ainsworth Rand Spofford, Librarian of Congress, built the Library into a national institution. Spofford was responsible for the copyright law of 1870, which required all copyright applicants to send to the Library two copies of their work. A new building was designed in Washington and its opening was hailed as a glorious national monument and "the largest, the costliest, and the safest" library building in the world.
Today's Library of Congress is an unparalleled world resource. The collection includes millions of cataloged books and other print materials in 460 languages; millions of manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings.
Archival Resources
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Bibliographic and Digital Archival Resources
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referencedIn | Oral history interview with Ed Moulthrop | Archives of American Art |
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Relation | Name |
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associatedWith | Abney, John R. |
correspondedWith | Agassiz, Louis |
associatedWith | Alcott family. |
correspondedWith | Aldrich, Richard, 1863-1937 |
correspondedWith | Alexander, John H. |
associatedWith | Allen family. |
correspondedWith | Allen, Edward G. |
correspondedWith | Allen, Gay Wilson, 1903- |
associatedWith | Allison, William Henry, 1870-1941. |
correspondedWith | American Association of Housing Educators |
Showing 1 to 10 of 444 entries
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Corporate Body
Establishment 1800-04-24
Americans
English,
Italian,
Latin,
French
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Variant Names
Library of Congress
Bibliothèque du Congrès Etats-Unis
Library of the United States
AMN-i Azgayin Gradaran
Amerika Gikai Toshokan
Bei Kokkai Chosakyoku
Beikoku Gikai Toshokan
Biblioteca del Congreso
Biblioteca del Congreso de Washington
Biblioteca del Congresso.
Biblioteca do Congresso dos Estados Unidos
Biblioteka Kongressa
Biblioteka Kongresu.
Biblioteka Konhresu SShA
Bibliothèque du Congrès
Bibliothèque du Congrès (États-Unis)
Bibliothèque du Congrès
Estados Unidos., Library of Congress
Etats-Unis. Library of Congress
Gikai Toshokan
Kongressiĭn Nomyn San
Kongrêsi Gradaran
L of C
LC (Library of Congress)
LC Abkuerzung
LC.
Library of Congress (Washington, D. C.)
Library of Congress (Washington, DC)
Library of Congress Etats-Unis
LoC
LoC (Library of Congress)
LoC Abkuerzung
Maktabat al-Kūnġris
Mei-kuo kuo hui tʻu shu kuan
SAD. Library of Congress
Sifriyat ha-Ḳongres
Stati Uniti. Library of Congress
Washington (D.C.). Library of Congress
Конгрессийн Номын Сан
Конгрессийн Номын Сан
アメリカ合衆国議会図書館
ギカイ トショカン
ベイ コッカイ チョウサキョク
國會圖書館
米国会調査局
議会図書館
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Library of Congress
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