Ainsworth Rand Spofford

author

Ainsworth Rand Spofford

1825–1908

A driving force behind the rise of the modern Library of Congress, he helped turn a small congressional collection into a true national library. Before that, he worked as a bookseller, publisher, editor, and prolific writer with a lifelong passion for books.

1 Audiobook

A Book for All Readers An Aid to the Collection, Use, and Preservation of Books and the Formation of Public and Private Libraries

A Book for All Readers An Aid to the Collection, Use, and Preservation of Books and the Formation of Public and Private Libraries

by Ainsworth Rand Spofford

About the author

Born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, in 1825, Ainsworth Rand Spofford built his early career in Cincinnati, where he worked as a bookseller and publisher and later became an editor of the Cincinnati Daily Commercial. That deep familiarity with books and publishing shaped the rest of his life.

Spofford joined the Library of Congress in 1861 and served as Librarian of Congress from 1864 to 1897. During those years, he played a central role in expanding the library’s collections, strengthening its national purpose, and helping place the U.S. copyright deposit system under the Library of Congress, which greatly increased the flow of books and other materials into the institution.

He is also remembered for pushing for a separate, purpose-built library building, a vision that led to the landmark structure now known as the Thomas Jefferson Building. Alongside his library work, Spofford wrote widely on literature, history, and public life, leaving a legacy as both a librarian and a man of letters.