author
Library of Congress
Home to one of the world’s great research collections, this institution preserves millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps, manuscripts, and more while serving Congress and the public. Its story stretches from 1800 to the digital age, with Thomas Jefferson’s library helping shape its broad, curious spirit.
2 Audiobooks
Workshop on Electronic Texts: Proceedings, 9-10 June 1992
by Library of Congress
Pioneer Imprints from Fifty States
by Roger J. Trienens, Library of Congress
About the author
Established by Congress on April 24, 1800, the Library of Congress began as a small legislative library in the U.S. Capitol. After the British burned the Capitol in 1814, Thomas Jefferson sold his personal library to help rebuild the collection, and his belief that knowledge should cover every subject became a lasting influence on the institution.
Today, the Library of Congress is widely regarded as the nation’s library and serves as the research arm of Congress. According to the Library, its mission is to engage, inspire and inform Congress and the American people with an enduring source of knowledge and creativity, and its collections now include well over 170 million items across many formats.
Beyond preserving history, the Library shapes how people discover it. Its cataloging systems, subject headings, and research services have had a major impact on libraries and scholars, while its exhibitions, digital collections, and public programs make rare and important materials available far beyond Washington, D.C.