Library of Congress

The Library of Congress (LC or sometimes LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C. It serves as the library and research service for the United States Congress and acts as the main national library of the United States. It also manages copyright law through the United States Copyright Office, and it houses the Congressional Research Service. Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States.

The Library of Congress is one of the largest libraries in the world. It holds about 173 million items and employs over 3,000 people. Its collections include materials from all over the world in more than 470 languages. When Congress moved to Washington in 1800, a small library was placed in the Capitol. Much of the early collection was lost in 1814 during the burning of Washington by British forces in the War of 1812. Congress bought the books from former President Thomas Jefferson to rebuild the library.

The Library of Congress sometimes had trouble with space, not enough staff, and limited funding. This changed during the American Civil War when the government needed more research help. In 1870, the library gained the right to receive two copies of every copyrightable work printed in the United States. It also grew through buying and receiving donations. Between 1890 and 1897, a new building called the Thomas Jefferson Building was built. Later, two more buildings were added: the John Adams Building (opened in 1939) and the James Madison Memorial Building (opened in 1980). The LC's Congressional Research Service gives unbiased research help to Congress. The library is open to the public for research, but only members of Congress, their staff, and library employees can borrow materials to use outside the library.

History

The Library of Congress started in 1800 when President John Adams signed a law to create a library for Congress. At first, it had only 740 books and three maps. Later, President Thomas Jefferson helped grow the library by selling his personal books after a fire destroyed many of the early books.

Over time, the Library of Congress became the largest library in the United States. It moved into new buildings and added many collections. Today, it holds more than 170 million items, such as books, maps, and recordings. The library also creates programs to share its collections with everyone, including online access and special education projects.

Holdings

The Library of Congress has a very large collection. It has more than 32 million books in many languages, 61 million manuscripts, and the biggest rare book collection in North America. Some special items are the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and a Gutenberg Bible.

The library also has millions of maps, pieces of music, sound recordings, and photographs.

The Library of Congress made its own way to organize books, called Library of Congress Classification. Many other libraries use this system. The library helps protect copyrights and keeps a record of all published works in the United States. Every day, about 15,000 new items arrive at the library. The library’s collection fills about 838 miles of bookshelves and holds over 167 million items.

Buildings

The Library of Congress has three main buildings in Washington, D.C., connected by underground paths, and a conservation center in Virginia. The Thomas Jefferson Building is the oldest, opening in 1897. The John Adams Building opened in 1939 for more space. The James Madison Memorial Building, finished in 1976, honors James Madison, a Founding Father and the fourth President of the United States. It includes the United States Copyright Office and a theater for movies.

The newest building, the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia, started in 2007. It holds the Library’s movies, television, and sound collections. It also has a movie theater open to the public. It was built from an old Federal Reserve storage center and Cold War bunker and is named after David Woodley Packard.

Copyright Act

Main article: Digital Millennium Copyright Act

See also: Librarian of Congress and Register of Copyrights

The Library of Congress helps decide which digital works can be used without special permission. This happens every three years. People can share their ideas, and leaders at the Library review them to decide what is allowed before the rules are updated.

Access

The Library of Congress is open for research to anyone with a Reader Identification Card. Visitors cannot take library items from the reading rooms or buildings. Most books and journals are kept in closed stacks, which only library staff or special guests can access. The reading room reference collections are available on open shelves for everyone to use.

Since 1902, libraries across America have been able to request books from the Library of Congress through interlibrary loan if they cannot find them elsewhere. This makes the Library of Congress a valuable resource, acting as a "library of last resort." In 2017, the Library of Congress started working on a special reader's card for children under sixteen.

Standards

The Library of Congress helps make rules to organize information. It works on projects like MARC standards, Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard, and Metadata Object Description Schema. These systems help libraries share and find books and data.

The Law Library of Congress invites scholars and experts to study law and help improve research for Congress and government agencies.

Annual events

The Library of Congress has many special events each year. These include the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, and the National Book Festival. Other events such as the Fellows in American Letters of the Library of Congress, Founder's Day Celebration, and the Mostly Lost Film Identification Workshop also happen. These events let people learn more about American culture and books.

Notable personnel

See also: Librarian of Congress

The Library of Congress has had many important people who helped it grow. Henriette Avram made the MARC format, a system that helps libraries share information about books. John Y. Cole started the Center for the Book and was the first historian for the Library of Congress. Cecil Hobbs knew a lot about Southeast Asian history and helped improve the Library’s collections about that area. Julius C. Jefferson Jr. led the Congressional Research Service and also served as president of the American Library Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation.

Today

The Library of Congress still offers exhibitions, educational programs, and online resources. It shares its collections with researchers and people worldwide.