| − | {{For|the 1945 documentary film|Library of Congress (film)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}{{Infobox library| library_name = Library of Congress| library_logo = [[File:US-LibraryOfCongress-BookLogo.svg|80px|Logo]] [[File:US-LibraryOfCongress-Seal.svg|100px|Seal]]| image = Thomas Jefferson Building Aerial by Carol M. Highsmith.jpg| caption = Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building| location = Washington, D.C.| established = 1800| num_branches = N/A| collection_size = 22,765,967 catalogued books in the [[Library of Congress Classification]] system5,600 incunabula (books printed before 1500), monographs and serials, music, bound newspapers, pamphlets, technical reports, and other printed material, and 109,029,796 items in the nonclassified (special) collections151,785,778 total Items<ref name="2010atglance">{{cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/about/generalinfo.html#2010_at_a_glance |title=2010 At A Glance |publisher=Loc.gov |date= |accessdate=2012-11-04}}</ref>| annual_circulation = Library does not publicly circulate| pop_served = 541 members of the [[United States Congress]], their staff, and members of the public| budget = $613,496,414<ref name="2010atglance"/>| director = [[James H. Billington]] (Librarian of Congress)| num_employees = 3,597<ref name="2010atglance"/>| website = [http://www.loc.gov www.loc.gov]}}The '''Library of Congress''' is the [[research library]] of the [[United States Congress]], ''de facto'' [[national library]] of the [[United States of America]], and the oldest [[United States federal government|federal]] cultural institution in the United States. Located in four buildings in Washington, D.C., as well as the Packard Campus<ref>[http://www.loc.gov/avconservation/packard/ "The Packard Campus"]. Library of Congress. Retrieved April 5, 2012.</ref> in [[Culpeper, Virginia]], it is the [[List of largest libraries|largest library in the world]] by shelf space and number of books. The head of the Library is the [[Librarian of Congress]], currently [[James H. Billington]].The Library of Congress was instituted for Congress in 1800, and was housed in the [[United States Capitol]] for most of the 19th century. After much of the original collection had been destroyed during the [[War of 1812]], [[Thomas Jefferson]] sold 6,487 books, his entire personal collection, to the library in 1815.<ref>[http://purplemotes.net/2008/02/03/thomas-jeffersons-library/ purplemotes.net]- Jefferson got $23,940</ref><ref>[http://www.loc.gov/preserv/history/growing.html loc.gov]{{dead link|date=November 2012}}</ref> After a period of decline during the mid-19th century the Library of Congress began to grow rapidly in both size and importance after the [[American Civil War]], culminating in the construction of a separate library building and the transference of all copyright deposit holdings to the Library. During the rapid expansion of the 20th century the Library of Congress assumed a preeminent public role, becoming a "library of last resort" and expanding its mission for the benefit of scholars and the American people.The Library's primary mission is researching inquiries made by members of Congress through the [[Congressional Research Service]]. Although it is open to the public, only Library employees, Members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and other high-ranking government officials may check out books. As the ''de facto'' national library, the Library of Congress promotes literacy and American literature through projects such as the [[American Folklife Center]], [[American Memory]], [[Center for the Book]] and [[Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress|Poet Laureate]].==History==[[File:Loc contruction.jpg|thumb|left|Construction of the [[Thomas Jefferson Building]], from July 8, 1888, to May 15, 1894.]]===Origins and Jefferson's contribution (1800–1851)===The Library of Congress was established on April 24, 1800, when [[President of the United States|President]] [[John Adams]] signed an [[Act of Congress]] providing for the transfer of the seat of government from [[Philadelphia]] to the new capital city of Washington. Part of the legislation appropriated $5,000 "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress ..., and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them...." Books were ordered from London and the collection, consisting of 740 books and 3 maps, was housed in the new [[United States Capitol|Capitol]].<ref name="loc history">{{cite web|title=Jefferson's Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress|publisher=Library of Congress|url=http://www.loc.gov/loc/legacy/loc.html|date=March 6, 2006|accessdate=January 14, 2008}}</ref>[[Thomas Jefferson]] played an important role in the Library's early formation, signing into law on January 26, 1802, the first law establishing the structure of the Library of Congress. The law established the presidentially appointed post of [[Librarian of Congress]] and a [[Joint Committee on the Library]] to regulate and oversee the Library, as well as giving the president and vice president the ability to borrow books.<ref name="loc history"/> The Library of Congress was destroyed in August 1814, when invading British troops [[Burning of Washington|set fire to the Capitol building]] and the small library of 3,000 volumes within.<ref name="loc history"/>Within a month, former President Jefferson offered his personal library<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=ThomasJefferson |title=Thomas Jefferson's personal library at Library Thing, based on scholarship |publisher=Librarything.com |date= |accessdate=2012-11-04}}</ref><ref>[http://www.librarything.com/profile/ThomasJefferson Library Thing Profile Page for Thomas Jefferson's library], summarizing contents and indicating sources</ref> as a replacement. Jefferson had spent 50 years accumulating a wide variety of books, including ones in foreign languages and volumes of philosophy, science, literature, architecture and other topics not normally viewed as part of a legislative library, such as cookbooks, writing that, "I do not know that it contains any branch of science which Congress would wish to exclude from their collection; there is, in fact, no subject to which a Member of Congress may not have occasion to refer." In January 1815, Congress accepted Jefferson's offer, appropriating $23,950 to purchase his 6,487 books.<ref name="loc history"/>===Weakening (1851–1865)===The [[antebellum era|antebellum]] period was difficult for the Library. During the 1850s the [[Smithsonian Institution]]'s librarian [[Charles Coffin Jewett]] aggressively tried to move that organization towards becoming the United States' national library. His efforts were blocked by the Smithsonian's Secretary [[Joseph Henry]], who advocated a focus on scientific research and publication and favored the Library of Congress' development into the national library. Henry's dismissal of Jewett in July 1854 ended the Smithsonian's attempts to become the national library, and in 1866 Henry transferred the Smithsonian's forty thousand-volume library to the Library of Congress.<ref name="loc history"/>On December 24, 1851 the largest fire in the Library's history destroyed 35,000 books, about two–thirds of the Library's 55,000 book collection, including two–thirds of Jefferson's original transfer.<ref name="loc history"/> Congress in 1852 quickly appropriated $168,700 to replace the lost books, but not for the acquisition of new materials. This marked the start of a conservative period in the Library's administration under Librarian [[John Silva Meehan]] and Joint Committee Chairman [[James A. Pearce]], who worked to restrict the Library's activities.<ref name="loc history"/> In 1857, Congress transferred the Library's public document distribution activities to the [[United States Department of the Interior|Department of the Interior]] and its international book exchange program to the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]. [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s political appointment of [[John G. Stephenson]] as Librarian of Congress in 1861 further weakened the Library; Stephenson's focus was on non-library affairs, including service as a volunteer [[aide-de-camp]] at the battles of [[Battle of Chancellorsville|Chancellorsville]] and [[Battle of Gettysburg|Gettysburg]] during the [[American Civil War]]. By the conclusion of the war, the Library of Congress had a staff of seven for a collection of 80,000 volumes.<ref name="loc history"/> The centralization of copyright offices into the [[United States Patent Office]] in 1859 ended the Library's thirteen-year role as a depository of all copyrighted books and pamphlets.===Spofford's expansion (1865–1897)===[[File:Library of Congress in Capitol Building.jpg|thumb|left|The Library of Congress inside the [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol Building]] c. 1890]] The Library of Congress reasserted itself during the latter half of the 19th century under Librarian [[Ainsworth Rand Spofford]], who directed the Library from 1865 to 1897. Aided by an overall expansion of the federal government and a favorable political climate, Spofford built broad bipartisan support for the Library as a national library and a legislative resource, began comprehensively collecting [[Americana]] and [[American literature]], and led the construction of a new building to house the Library, and transformed the Librarian of Congress position into one of strength and independence.<ref name="loc history"/> Between 1865 and 1870, Congress appropriated funds for the construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, placed all copyright registration and deposit activities under the Library's control, and restored the Library's international book exchange. The Library also acquired the vast libraries of both the Smithsonian and historian [[Peter Force]], strengthening its scientific and Americana collections significantly. By 1876, the Library of Congress had 300,000 volumes and was tied with [[Boston Public Library]] as the nation's largest library. When the Library moved from the Capitol building to its new headquarters in 1897, it had over 840,000 volumes, 40% of which had been acquired through copyright deposit.<ref name="loc history"/>[[File:Hl026001.jpg|thumb|right|Some of the Library of Congress' holdings awaiting shelving inside the newly opened [[Thomas Jefferson Building]]]]A year before the Library's move to its new location, the Joint Library Committee held a session of hearings to assess the condition of the Library and plan for its future growth and possible reorganization. Spofford and six experts sent by the [[American Library Association]], including future Librarian of Congress [[Herbert Putnam]] and [[Melvil Dewey]] of the [[New York State Library]], testified before the committee that the Library should continue its expansion towards becoming a true national library.<ref name="loc history"/> Based on the hearings and with the assistance of Senators [[Justin Morrill]] of Vermont and [[Daniel Voorhees]] of Indiana, Congress more than doubled the Library's staff from 42 to 108 and established new administrative units for all aspects of the Library's collection. Congress also strengthened the office of Librarian of Congress to govern the Library and make staff appointments, as well as requiring Senate approval for presidential appointees to the position.<ref name="loc history"/>===Post-reorganization (1897–1939)===[[File:Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. - c. 1902.jpg|thumb|left|Main Library of Congress building at the start of the 20th century]]The Library of Congress, spurred by the 1897 reorganization, began to grow and develop more rapidly. Spofford's successor [[John Russell Young]], though only in office for two years, overhauled the Library's bureaucracy, used his connections as a former diplomat to acquire more materials from around the world, and established the Library's first assistance programs for the [[Blindness|blind]] and physically disabled.<ref name="loc history"/> Young's successor [[Herbert Putnam]] held the office for forty years from 1899 to 1939, entering into the position two years before the Library became the first in the United States to hold one million volumes.<ref name="loc history"/> Putnam focused his efforts on making the Library more accessible and useful for the public and for other libraries. He instituted the interlibrary loan service, transforming the Library of Congress into what he referred to as a "library of last resort".<ref name="interlibrary loan">{{cite web| title = Interlibrary Loan (Collections Access, Management and Loan Division, Library of Congress)| url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/loan/| date=October 25, 2007| publisher=Library of Congress website| accessdate =December 4, 2007 }}</ref> Putnam also expanded Library access to "scientific investigators and duly qualified individuals" and began publishing primary sources for the benefit of scholars.<ref name="loc history"/>Putnam's tenure also saw increasing diversity in the Library's acquisitions. In 1903 he persuaded President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] to transfer by executive order the papers of the [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Fathers]] from the State Department to the Library of Congress. Putnam expanded foreign acquisitions as well, including the 1904 purchase of a four-thousand volume library of [[Indica (Megasthenes)|Indica]], the 1906 purchase of G. V. Yudin's eighty-thousand volume Russian library, the 1908 Schatz collection of early opera [[librettos]], and the early 1930s purchase of the Russian Imperial Collection, consisting of 2,600 volumes from the library of the [[Romanov family]] on a variety of topics. Collections of [[Hebraica]] and Chinese and Japanese works were also acquired.<ref name="loc history"/> Congress even took the initiative to acquire materials for the Library in one occasion, when in 1929 Congressman [[Ross Collins]] of Mississippi successfully proposed the $1.5 million purchase of Otto Vollbehr's collection of [[incunabula]], including one of three remaining perfect vellum copies of the [[Gutenberg Bible]].<ref name="loc history"/>[[File:Gutenberg Bible.jpg|thumb|A copy of the [[Gutenberg Bible]] on display at the Library of Congress]]In 1914 Putnam established the [[Legislative Reference Service]] as a separative administrative unit of the Library. Based in the [[Progressive era]]'s philosophy of science as a problem-solver, and modeled after successful research branches of state legislatures, the LRS would provide informed answers to Congressional research inquiries on almost any topic.<ref name="loc history"/> In 1965 Congress passed an act allowing the Library of Congress to establish a trust fund board to accept donations and endowments, giving the Library a role as a patron of the arts. The Library received the donations and endowments of prominent individuals such as [[John D. Rockefeller]], James B. Wilbur and [[Archer M. Huntington]]. Gertrude Clarke Whittall donated five [[Stradivarius#Violins|Stradivarius violins]] to the Library and [[Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge]]'s donations paid for a [[concert hall]] within the Library of Congress building and the establishment of an [[honorarium]] for the Music Division. A number of chairs and consultantships were established from the donations, the most well-known of which is the [[Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress|Poet Laureate Consultant]].<ref name="loc history"/>The Library's expansion eventually filled the Library's Main Building, despite shelving expansions in 1910 and 1927, forcing the Library to expand into a new structure. Congress acquired nearby land in 1928 and approved construction of the Annex Building (later the John Adams Building) in 1930. Although delayed during the [[Great Depression|Depression]] years, it was completed in 1938 and opened to the public in 1939.<ref name="loc history"/>===Modern history (1939–present)===[[File:Erotica at Library of Congress, Washington D.C. 02223u original.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Erotica]]'', mural painting by [[George Randolph Barse]] (1861–1938) in the Library of Congress]][[File:Minerva of Peace.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Elihu Vedder]]'s ''Minerva of Peace mosaic'']]When Putnam retired in 1939, President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] appointed [[Archibald MacLeish]] as his successor. Occupying the post from 1939 to 1944 during the height of World War II, MacLeish became the most visible Librarian of Congress in the Library's history. MacLeish encouraged librarians to oppose [[totalitarianism]] on behalf of democracy; dedicated the South Reading Room of the Adams Building to Thomas Jefferson, commissioning artist [[Ezra Winter]] to paint four themed murals for the room; and established a "democracy alcove" in the Main Reading Room of the Jefferson Building for important documents such as the Declaration, Constitution and [[Federalist Papers]].<ref name="loc history"/> Even the Library of Congress assisted during the war effort, ranging from the storage of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] and the [[United States Constitution]] in [[Fort Knox]] for safekeeping to researching weather data on the [[Himalayas]] for [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] pilots.<ref name="loc history"/> MacLeish resigned in 1944 to become Assistant Secretary of State, and President [[Harry Truman]] appointed [[Luther H. Evans]] as Librarian of Congress. Evans, who served until 1953, expanded the Library's acquisitions, cataloging and bibliographic services as much as the fiscal-minded Congress would allow, but his primary achievement was the creation of Library of Congress Missions around the world. Missions played a variety of roles in the postwar world: the mission in San Francisco assisted participants in the meeting that established the United Nations, the mission in Europe acquired European publications for the Library of Congress and other American libraries, and the mission in Japan aided in the creation of the [[National Diet Library]].<ref name="loc history"/>Evans' successor [[L. Quincy Mumford]] took over in 1953. Mumford's tenure, lasting until 1974, saw the initiation of the construction of the James Madison Memorial Building, the third Library of Congress building. Mumford directed the Library during a period of increased educational spending, the windfall of which allowed the Library to devote energies towards establishing new acquisition centers abroad, including in [[Cairo]] and New Delhi. In 1967 the Library began experimenting with book preservation techniques through a Preservation Office, which grew to become the largest library research and conservation effort in the United States.<ref name="loc history"/> Mumford's administration also saw the last major public debate about the Library of Congress' role as both a legislative library and a national library. A 1962 memorandum by Douglas Bryant of the [[Harvard University Library]], compiled at the request of Joint Library Committee chairman [[Claiborne Pell]], proposed a number of institutional reforms, including expansion of national activities and services and various organizational changes, all of which would shift the Library more towards its national role over its legislative role. Bryant even suggested possibly changing the name of the Library of Congress, which was rebuked by Mumford as "unspeakable violence to tradition".<ref name="loc history"/> Debate continued within the library community until the [[Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970]] shifted the Library back towards its legislative roles, placing greater focus on research for Congress and congressional committees and renaming the Legislative Reference Service to the [[Congressional Research Service]].<ref name="loc history"/>After Mumford retired in 1974, Gerald Ford appointed [[Daniel J. Boorstin]] as Librarian. Boorstin's first challenge was the move to the new Madison Building, which took place between 1980 and 1982. The move released pressures on staff and shelf space, allowing Boorstin to focus on other areas of Library administration such as acquisitions and collections. Taking advantage of steady budgetary growth, from $116 million in 1975 to over $250 million by 1987, Boorstin actively participated in enhancing ties with scholars, authors, publishers, cultural leaders, and the business community. His active and prolific role changed the post of Librarian of Congress so that by the time he retired in 1987, the ''[[New York Times]]'' called it "perhaps the leading intellectual public position in the nation."<ref name="loc history"/> Ronald Reagan appointed [[James H. Billington]] as the thirteenth Librarian of Congress in 1987, a post he holds as of 2012. Billington took advantage of new technological advancements and the Internet to link the Library to educational institutions around the country in 1991. The end of the [[Cold War]] also enabled the Library to develop relationships with newly open Eastern European nations, helping them to establish parliamentary libraries of their own.<ref name="loc history"/>In the mid-1990s, under Billington's leadership, the Library of Congress began to pursue the development of what it called a "National Digital Library," part of an overall strategic direction that has been somewhat controversial within the library profession.<ref name="collins">{{cite book | last = Collins | first = Samuel | title = Library of Walls: The Library of Congress and the Contradictions of Information Society | publisher = Litwin Books | year = 2009 | isbn = 978-0-9802004-2-3}}</ref> In late November 2005, the Library announced intentions to launch the [[World Digital Library]], digitally preserving books and other objects from all world cultures.In April 2010, it announced plans to archive all public communication on Twitter, including all communication since Twitter's launch in March 2006.<ref>{{cite web|author=Peter Grier |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2010/0416/Twitter-hits-Library-of-Congress-Would-Founding-Fathers-tweet |title=Twitter hits Library of Congress: Would Founding Fathers tweet? |publisher=CSMonitor.com |date= |accessdate=2012-11-04}}</ref> The Twitter archive is another example of the Library's commitment to collecting first-person accounts of history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2010/10-081.html |title=Twitter Archive to Library of Congress - News Releases (Library of Congress) |publisher=Loc.gov |date= |accessdate=2012-11-04}}</ref>==Holdings==[[File:Library of Congress by Carol M. Highsmith.jpg|right|thumb|Library of Congress, [[Thomas Jefferson Building]]]][[File:Thomas Jefferson Great Hall by Carol M. Highsmith.jpg|thumb|The Great Hall interior]]The collections of the Library of Congress include more than 32 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages; more than 61 million [[manuscript]]s; the largest rare book collection in North America, including the rough draft of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], a [[Gutenberg Bible]] (one of only four perfect [[vellum]] copies known to exist);<ref>See [http://www.approvedarticles.com/Article/Gutenberg-s-Bibles--Where-to-Find-Them/1088 Gutenberg's Bibles— Where to Find Them]; [http://www.octavo.com/editions/gtnbbl/index.html Octavo Digital Rare Books]; [http://www.loc.gov/rr/rarebook/guide/europe.html Library of Congress].<!-- ANONS, PLEASE READ THE LINK COMPLETELY before changing it to '3': "A fourth and final perfect vellum copy of the Bible is in Goettigen, Germany's Universitaetsbibliothek." --></ref> over 1 million [[Federal government of the United States|US government]] publications; 1 million issues of world newspapers spanning the past three centuries; 33,000 bound newspaper volumes; 500,000 [[microfilm]] reels; over 6,000 comic book<ref>{{cite web |date=April 7, 2006 |url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/brochure.html |title=About the Serial and Government Publications Division |publisher=The Library of Congress |accessdate=August 8, 2006}}</ref> titles; films; 5.3 million [[map]]s; 6 million works of [[sheet music]]; 3 million [[sound recording]]s; more than 14.7 million prints and photographic images including fine and popular art pieces and architectural drawings;<ref>{{Citation | title = Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress | publisher = Library of Congress | year = 2009 | url = http://www.loc.gov/about/reports/annualreports/fy2009.pdf}}</ref> the [[Betts Stradivarius]]; and the [[Stradivarius#Violas|Cassavetti Stradivarius]].The Library developed a system of book classification called [[Library of Congress Classification]] (LCC), which is used by most US research and [[university library|university libraries]].The Library serves as a legal repository for [[copyright]] protection and [[copyright registration]], and as the base for the [[United States Copyright Office]]. Regardless of whether they register their copyright, all publishers are required to submit two complete copies of their published works to the Library—this requirement is known as ''mandatory deposit''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/mandatory_deposit.html | title = Mandatory Deposit | publisher = Copyright.gov | accessdate =August 8, 2006}}</ref> Nearly 22,000 new items published in the U.S. arrive every business day at the Library. Contrary to popular belief, however, the Library does not retain all of these works in its permanent collection, although it does add an average of 10,000 items per day. Rejected items are used in trades with other libraries around the world, distributed to federal agencies, or donated to schools, communities, and other organizations within the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.loc.gov/about/facts.html | title = Fascinating Facts | publisher = Library of Congress | accessdate =August 8, 2006}}</ref> As is true of many [[Legal deposit|similar libraries]], the Library of Congress retains copies of every publication in the English language that is deemed significant.The Library of Congress states that its collection fills about {{convert|838|mi|km}} of bookshelves,<ref name="about">{{cite web|url = http://www.loc.gov/about/facts.html | title = Fascinating Facts – About the Library | publisher = Library of Congress | accessdate =June 30, 2011}}</ref> while the [[British Library]] reports about {{convert|625|km|mi|sp=us}} of shelves.<ref name="aboutbrit">{{cite web| url = http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/quickinfo/facts/index.html | title = Facts and figures | publisher = British Library | accessdate =June 30, 2011}}</ref> The Library of Congress holds about 147 million items with 33 million books against approximately 150 million items with 25 million books for the British Library.<ref name="about"/><ref name="aboutbrit"/>The Library makes millions of digital objects, comprising tens of petabytes, available at its [[American Memory]] site. American Memory is a source for [[public domain]] image resources, as well as audio, video, and archived Web content. Nearly all of the lists of holdings, the ''catalogs'' of the library, can be consulted directly on its web site. Librarians all over the world consult these catalogs, through the Web or through other media better suited to their needs, when they need to catalog for their collection a book published in the United States. They use the [[Library of Congress Control Number]] to make sure of the exact identity of the book.The Library of Congress also provides an online archive of the proceedings of the [[Congress of the United States|U.S. Congress]] at [[THOMAS]], including bill text, [[Congressional Record]] text, bill summary and status, the Congressional Record Index, and the [[United States Constitution]].The Library also administers the [[National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped]], an audio book and [[braille]] library program provided to more than 766,000 Americans.{{-}}==Buildings of the Library==[[File:Thomas Jefferson Building Aerial by Carol M. Highsmith.jpg|thumb|[[Thomas Jefferson Building|Jefferson Building]]]][[File:Madison Building by Carol M. Highsmith.jpg|thumb|[[James Madison Memorial Building|Madison Building]]]][[File:Packard-campus-library-of-c.jpg|thumb|[[National Audio-Visual Conservation Center|Packard Campus (Culpeper, Virginia)]]]]The Library of Congress is physically housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill and a conservation center in rural [[Virginia]]. The Library's Capitol Hill buildings are all connected by underground passageways, so that a library user need pass through security only once in a single visit. The library also has off-site storage facilities for less commonly requested materials.===Thomas Jefferson Building==={{Main|Thomas Jefferson Building}}The Thomas Jefferson Building is located between [[Independence Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Independence Avenue]] and East Capitol Street on First Street SE. It first opened in 1897 as the main building of the Library and is the oldest of the three buildings. Known originally as the Library of Congress Building or Main Building, it took its present name on June 13, 1980.===John Adams Building==={{Main|John Adams Building}}The John Adams Building is located between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street on 2nd Street SE, the block adjacent to the Jefferson Building. The building was originally built simply as an annex to the Jefferson Building. It opened its doors to the public on January 3, 1939.===James Madison Memorial Building==={{Main|James Madison Memorial Building}}The James Madison Memorial Building is located between First and Second Streets on Independence Avenue SE. The building was constructed from 1971 to 1976, and serves as the official memorial to President James Madison.The Madison Building is also home to the Mary Pickford Theater, the "motion picture and television reading room" of the Library of Congress. The theater hosts regular free screenings of classic and contemporary movies and television shows.===Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation==={{Main|National Audio-Visual Conservation Center}}The [http://www.loc.gov/avconservation/packard/ Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation] is the Library of Congress's newest building, opened in 2007 and located in [[Culpeper, Virginia]]. It was constructed out of a former [[Federal Reserve System|Federal Reserve]] storage center and [[Cold War]] bunker. The campus is designed to act as a single site to store all of the library's movie, television, and sound collections. It is named to honor [[David Woodley Packard]], whose [[Packard Humanities Institute]] oversaw design and construction of the facility. The centerpiece of the complex is a reproduction [[Art Deco]] movie theater that presents free movie screenings to the public on a semi-weekly basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/loc/events/#eventlist9 |title=Library of Congress events listing |publisher=Loc.gov |date= |accessdate=2012-11-04}}</ref>==Using the Library==The library is open to the general public for academic research and tourists. Only those who are issued a Reader Identification Card may enter the reading rooms and access the collection. The Reader Identification Card is available in the Madison building to persons who are at least 16 years of age upon presentation of a government issued picture identification (e.g. driver's license, state ID card or passport).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/readerregistration.html |title=Library of Congress |publisher=Loc.gov |date=2009-04-15 |accessdate=2012-11-04}}</ref> However, only members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, their staff, Library of Congress staff and certain other government officials may actually remove items from the library buildings. Members of the general public with Reader Identification Cards must use items from the library collection inside the reading rooms only; they are not allowed to remove library items from the reading rooms or the library buildings.{{citation needed|date = April 2012}}Since 1902, libraries in the United States have been able to request books and other items through [[interlibrary loan]] from the Library of Congress if these items are not readily available elsewhere. Through this, the Library of Congress has served as a "library of last resort", according to former Librarian of Congress [[Herbert Putnam]].<ref name="interlibrary loan"/> The Library of Congress lends books to other libraries with the stipulation that they be used only inside the borrowing library.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/loan/loanweb1.html |title=Subpage Title (Interlibrary Loan, Library of Congress) |publisher=Loc.gov |date=2010-07-14 |accessdate=2012-11-04}}</ref>The Library of Congress is sometimes used as an [[List of unusual units of measurement#Bibles, Encyclopaediae, and the Library of Congress: data volume|unusual unit of measurement]] to represent an impressively large quantity of data when discussing digital storage or networking technologies.==Standards==In addition to its library services, the Library of Congress is also actively involved in various standard activities in areas related to bibliographical and search and retrieve standards. Areas of work include [[METS]], [[Metadata Object Description Schema]] (MODS), [[Z39.50]] and [[Search/Retrieve Web Service]] (SRW), and [[Search/Retrieve via URL]] (SRU).==Librarians of Congress==The '''Librarian of Congress''' is the head of the Library of Congress, appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the [[United States Senate|Senate]], and serves as the chief librarian of all the sections of the Library of Congress. One of the responsibilities of the Librarian of Congress is to appoint the [[United States Poet Laureate|U.S. Poet Laureate]].# [[John J. Beckley]] (1802–1807)# [[Patrick Magruder]] (1807–1815)# [[George Watterston]] (1815–1829)# [[John Silva Meehan]] (1829–1861)# [[John Gould Stephenson]] (1861–1864)# [[Ainsworth Rand Spofford]] (1864–1897)# [[John Russell Young]] (1897–1899)# [[Herbert Putnam]] (1899–1939)# [[Archibald MacLeish]] (1939–1944)# [[Luther H. Evans]] (1945–1953)# [[Lawrence Quincy Mumford]] (1954–1974)# [[Daniel J. Boorstin]] (1975–1987)# [[James H. Billington]] (1987–present)==Annual events==* Archives Fair* [[Fellows in American Letters of the Library of Congress]]* Davidson Fellows Reception* [[Founder's Day]] Celebration* [[Gershwin Prize]] for Popular Song* Judith P. Austin Memorial Lecture* The [[National Book Festival]] in Washington, DC==See also==* [[Documents Expediting Project]]* [[Federal Research Division]]* [[History of Public Library Advocacy]]* [[Law Library of Congress]]* [[Library of Congress Country Studies]]* [[Library of Congress Living Legend]]* [[Library of Congress Subject Headings]]* [[List of librarians]]* [[List of national libraries]]* [[MARC standards]]* [[Minerva Initiative]]* [[National Archives and Records Administration]]* [[National Film Registry]]* [[National Recording Registry]]* [[Public Library Advocacy]]* [[Feleky Collection]]* [[United States Senate Library]]* [[Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center]]==References=={{Reflist|30em}}==External links=={{commons category|Library of Congress}}{{NIE Poster|year=1905|Library of Congress, The|Library of Congress}}* [http://www.loc.gov/ The Library of Congress website]* [http://memory.loc.gov/ American Memory]* [http://www.loc.gov/loc/legacy/ History of the Library of Congress]* [http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/author/giannina_braschi] Library of Congress National Book Festival authors roster* [http://www.poets.org/viewevent.php/prmEventID/11212] (About the 2012 National Book Festival from The Academy of American Poets) * [http://catalog.loc.gov/ Search the Library of Congress catalog]* [http://thomas.loc.gov/ thomas.loc.gov], legislative information* [http://thefederalregister.com/b.p/department/LIBRARY_OF_CONGRESS/ Library Of Congress Meeting Notices and Rule Changes] from The Federal Register [http://thefederalregister.com/rss/department/LIBRARY_OF_CONGRESS/ RSS Feed]* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/ Library of Congress photos on Flickr]* [http://www.dcmemorials.com/Groups_LibraryOfCongress.htm Outdoor sculpture] at the Library of Congress* [http://www.loc.gov/standards/ Standards, The Library of Congress]* {{gutenberg author| id=Library+of+Congress | name=the Library of Congress}}* [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Library_of_Congress Library of Congress] at FamilySearch Research Wiki for genealogists* {{Cite Americana|Congress, Library of}}* [http://www.c-span.org/loc/ C-SPAN's Library of Congress documentary and resources]{{coord|38|53|19|N|77|00|17|W|region:US-DC_type:landmark|display=title}}{{Librarians of Congress}}{{US National Libraries}}{{Registered Historic Places}}{{CapitolComplex}}{{USCongress}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Library Of Congress}}[[Category:Library of Congress| ]][[Category:1800 establishments in the United States]][[Category:Agencies of the United States Congress]][[Category:Archives in the United States]][[Category:Deposit libraries]][[Category:Film archives]][[Category:History museums in Washington, D.C.]][[Category:Libraries established in 1800]][[Category:Libraries in Washington, D.C.|Congress, Library of]][[Category:Library museums in the United States]][[Category:Lists of librarians|Congress]][[Category:Lists of office-holders in the United States|Librarian of Congress]][[Category:National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C.]][[Category:Photo archives]][[Category:Research libraries]][[Category:World Digital Library partners]][[Category:Legislative libraries]][[als:Library of Congress]][[ar:مكتبة الكونغرس]][[ast:Biblioteca del Congresu d'Estaos Xuníos]][[az:ABŞ Konqres Kitabxanası]][[be:Бібліятэка Кангрэса]][[be-x-old:Бібліятэка Кангрэсу]][[bg:Библиотека на Конгреса]][[ca:Biblioteca del Congrés dels Estats Units]][[cs:Knihovna Kongresu]][[cy:Llyfrgell y Gyngres]][[da:Library of Congress]][[de:Library of Congress]][[et:USA Kongressi raamatukogu]][[el:Βιβλιοθήκη του Κογκρέσου]][[es:Biblioteca del Congreso de Estados Unidos]][[eo:Kongresa Biblioteko]][[eu:Ameriketako Estatu Batuetako Kongresuaren Liburutegia]][[fa:کتابخانه ملی کنگره ایالات متحده آمریکا]][[fr:Bibliothèque du Congrès]][[ko:미국 의회도서관]][[io:Biblioteko di Kongreso]][[id:Perpustakaan Kongres Amerika Serikat]][[it:Biblioteca del Congresso]][[he:ספריית הקונגרס]][[ka:კონგრესის ბიბლიოთეკა]][[la:Bibliotheca Congressus Civitatum Foederatarum]][[lv:Kongresa bibliotēka]][[lb:Library of Congress]][[lt:Kongreso biblioteka]][[hu:Kongresszusi Könyvtár]][[mk:Конгресна библиотека]][[ml:ലൈബ്രറി ഓഫ് കോണ്ഗ്രസ്സ്]][[arz:مكتبة الكونجرس الأمريكى]][[nl:Library of Congress]][[ja:アメリカ議会図書館]][[no:Library of Congress]][[pnb:کانگرس لائیبریری]][[pl:Biblioteka Kongresu Stanów Zjednoczonych]][[pt:Biblioteca do Congresso]][[ro:Biblioteca Congresului Statelor Unite ale Americii]][[ru:Библиотека Конгресса]][[simple:Library of Congress]][[sk:Library of Congress]][[sr:Конгресна библиотека]][[fi:Yhdysvaltain kongressin kirjasto]][[sv:USA:s kongressbibliotek]][[ta:அமெரிக்கக் காங்கிரசு நூலகம்]][[te:యునైటెడ్ స్టేట్స్ లైబ్రరీ ఆఫ్ కాంగ్రెస్]][[th:หอสมุดรัฐสภา]][[tr:Amerika Birleşik Devletleri Kongre Kütüphanesi]][[uk:Бібліотека Конгресу]][[ur:کانگریس دارالکتب]][[vi:Thư viện Quốc hội Mỹ]][[war:Sulod-Barasahan han Kongreso]][[zh:國會圖書館 (美國)]]
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