7 facts About the library of congress never known

The Library of Congress is an essential part of the government of the United States of America, even though back in the early days of the country it was almost an after thought and only came about due to the generosity of many people, including Thomas Jefferson who donated his personal library to the institution. With all of the books, maps, pamphlets, films and more housed in this incredible institution, a great deal is known about it, but here are 7 facts you don’t know about the Library of Congress.

1. In the terms of shelf space alone, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world.

2. The Library of Congress was formed as part of the Act of Congress that moved the nation’s capital from Philadelphia to Washington.

3. The Library of Congress was just a small library with roughly 3,000 books in it when British troops destroyed it by setting fire to the Capitol building as part of the War of 1812.

4. First opening in 1897, the building that was then known as the Library of Congress Building was renamed the Thomas Jefferson Building in 1980.

5. While the Library of Congress is open to the public and anyone who is at least sixteen years of age and in possession of a government issued photo identification card is allowed into the reading room, only members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices and their staff, Library of Congress personnel, and other government officials can actually check out books and remove them from the building.

6. The Library of Congress’ head librarian, a position known as the Librarian of Congress, is appointed by the President of the United States.

7. John J. Beckley was the first Librarian of Congress and served in that role from 1802 to 1807. Interestingly, he is also credited by many as being the first political campaign manager.

The Library of Congress houses some of America’s greatest treasures and is an awesome place to visit and make use of. The institution has grown from a single room library housed in the capital building to a massive facility encompassing numerous buildings of its own. A visit to the Library of Congress is a great thing to do for anyone traveling to Washington D.C.