Ainsworth Rand Spofford

author

Ainsworth Rand Spofford

1825–1908

Best known as the Librarian of Congress who helped turn a small congressional collection into a true national library, he was also a writer, editor, and fierce believer in broad access to books. His long career helped shape the Library of Congress at a moment when the United States was rapidly growing.

1 Audiobook

A Book for All Readers

A Book for All Readers

by Ainsworth Rand Spofford

About the author

Born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, in 1825, he grew up in Cincinnati, where he worked as a bookseller, publisher, and newspaper editor before moving into national public life. That early life around books and print culture helped form the wide-ranging curiosity that would define his career.

He is most closely associated with the Library of Congress, where he served as Librarian of Congress from 1865 to 1897. During those years he pushed to expand the library’s collections, supported the idea of collecting broadly across American life and knowledge, and played an important role in the movement that led to the construction of the Library of Congress’s separate building.

Spofford also wrote and edited extensively, producing works on literature, history, and libraries. He died in 1908, but he is still remembered as one of the key figures who helped transform the Library of Congress into a major national institution.