Table Of Contenty··••'·
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TI1t· Libra[) of Congress, founded in 1800, began as a purdy
congressional library: but over the past two centuries, as the
l nitl'd States itself has grown and assu1ned an important role
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an1ong the con1n1unity of nations, the Library's collections
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and services have expanded as well. Today it is the world's
largest library. sc>rving not only the- United States Congress, HART Senate
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but also other libraric-s and individual researchers-both in
the- United States and around the world.
Tht' Nution·s Library, a collaboration between the Library
and Scala Publishers, is a celebration of, and a guide to
this complex institution-one of the greatest cultural and
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intellectual resources in the world. Succinct and informative
text, punctuated by lavish color illustrations, leads the reader
through the Library's history and present-day organization
and services. Sumptuous photographs of the Library's three
buildings on Washington's Capitol Hill-including the
original Library building, an architectural treasure opened
in 1897-are intetspersed with views of some of the
eclectic treasures housed in this repository of international
culture. These include founding documents of the American
Republic, Japanese fine prints, Arabic calligraphy, rare
illustrated books, maps, music and musical instruments,
posters, comic books, architectural drawings, hallmark doc
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urnents in the history of science, and historic photographs.
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For those who will visit the Library in person or via the
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Internet, the book also includes information on the subject
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areas in each of the Library's reading rooms, hours of
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operation, general procedures for conducting research in
the Library, and on the ever-expanding Library of Congress
Web Site. The Nation's Library thus 1nakes the Library's
storehouse of knowledge immediate and accessible to people
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around the world.
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THE NATION'S LIBRARY
The Library of Congress,
Washington, D. C.
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·· THE NATION'S
LIBRARY
The Library of Congress,
Washington, D. C.
Alan Bisbort and Linda Barrett Osborne
Library of Congress
in association with
Scala Publishers
Copyright © 2000 Library of Congress, All rights reserved
Washington, D.C.
No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced,
First published in 2000 by Scala Publishers Ltd stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
14 3-149 Great Portland Street or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
London \J.'lN 5FB recording, or otherwise, without the written permission
of the Library of Congress and Scala Publishers Ltd.
Published and distributed outside The Library of
Congress in the USA and Canada by Coordinated by W. Ralph Eubanks and Margaret E.
Antique Collectors' Club Limited Wagner
Market Street Industrial Park Edited by Margaret E. Wagner and Helena Drysdale
Wappingers' Falls Designed by Anikst Design and Thanh Tung Uong
12590 Produced by Scala Publishers Ltd
NY
Printed and bound by Editoriale Lloyd, Trieste, Italy
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Library of Congress. Front cover: The dome of the Thomas Jefferson building,
The Nation's Library: the Library of Congress. Library of Congress, capped by the torch of knowledge,
Washington, D.C./ Alan Bisbort and Linda Barrett shares the Capitol Hill skyline with the white dome of
Osborne. the United States Capitol. Photograph by Carol
p. cm. Highsmith.
Includes index.
lSBN 1-85759-235-2 (alk. paper) Inside front cover: Map of Capitol Hill, showing the
1. Library of Congress. I. Bisbort, Alan, 1953- II . three Library of Congress buildings.
Osborne, Linda Barrett, 1949- III. Title.
Back cover: A staircase in the Great Hall, Thomas
z733-u6 145 2000 Jefferson Building. Photograph by Anne Day.
[2663]
027.573-dc2r Inside back cover: Schematic diagram of the Thomas
Jefferson Building, by Doug Stern.
lSBN: 1-85759-235-2
Frontispiece: The Commemorative Arch in the Great
All measurements are in inches followed by centimeters; Hall, Thomas Jefferson Building (detail). Photograph by
Height precedes width precedes depth. Anne Day.
For Lois Korzendorfer referrnce librarian,
(1948-2000 ).
Library of Congress
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Contents
Foreword
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James H� Billington, The Librarian of Congress rr
The Library of Congress: A Brief History 13
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'fhe Thomas Jefferson Building
28
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View from the Street 39
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The Great Hall 41
Second-Floor Corridors and Galleries 46
The Visitors' Gallery 47
The Main Reading Room 4
9
The General Collections 4
9
African and Middle Eastern Division 51
American Folklife Center 55
Asian Division 56
European Division 5
9
Hispanic Division 61
.� Local History and Genealogy Division 62
* •
Rare Book and Special Collections Division 66
The John Adams Building 69
Science, Technology, and Business Divisi<?�"•� --. 74
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The James Madison Memorial Building 77
Geography and Map Division
Law Library
Manuscript Division
Motion Picture, Broadcasting
and Recorded Sound Division
Music Division 95
Newspapers and Current Periodicals/
Serial and Government Publications Division
Prints and Photographs Division
IOO
Services to Congress and Libraries
Cataloging Distribution Service
Congressional Research Service
IIO
Federal Library & Information Center Committee
IIO
Preservation and Conservation
III
6
