On April 24th 1800, President John Adams signed an act establishing Washington, D.C. as the new national capitol. Part of the legislation allotted $5000—about $123,000 in today’s money—to build a Congressional library. Like many American institutions, the Library of Congress grew over time. In 1783, James Madison suggested that Congress should have its own library. Though this idea was initially rejected, the initial collection was purchased in 1800. This original purchase consisted of 740 books and 3 maps, was housed in the basement of the Capitol building, and was only available to members of Congress. In 1802, Thomas Jefferson created the position of Librarian of Congress and extended borrowing privileges to the executive branch.
Just as support and the library’s collection started to grow, however, the British burned the 3000-book collection in their attack on Washington during the War of 1812. The following year, Jefferson sold his entire personal collection to Congress to restart the Library.
After the Civil War, the Library became a neutral site for Congressional action and national reconciliation. Through bipartisan support, the Library finally had its own building and over 840,000 volumes. By 1897, with the completion of its first building, it was on its way to becoming the nation’s library and resource center.
Today, the Library of Congress is housed in 3 main buildings on Capitol Hill and is accessible to anyone. Its collection, much of which is digitized, includes millions of books, manuscripts, government documents, film and sound recordings, prints and photographs, and physical items like James Madison’s crystal flute. At a time when librarians and library collections are under attack, the Library of Congress is a reminder of how to preserve and deliver access to the full American and global experiences.
